Japan's space probe, designed to collect soil samples from Mars' moon Phobos, has arrived at the Tanegashima Space Center and is being prepared for launch.
According to Kyodo news agency, the mission is planned for autumn 2026 using the H3 rocket. The flight to Mars will take about one year.
The MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) probe will study Phobos and Deimos from 2027 to 2030. The lander will touch down on Phobos and collect at least 10 grams of soil.
In 2031, a capsule containing the samples is expected to return to Earth. This mission aims to clarify the origin of Mars' moons. A small rover will also be deployed on Phobos.
Previously, in 2019, Japan's Hayabusa-2 probe collected rock samples from asteroid Ryugu.
