On October 20, Japan launched the MMX spacecraft, which is intended to bring samples from Phobos, one of Mars’s moons, to Earth for the first time. If the mission succeeds, scientists will receive extraterrestrial material for laboratory analysis in 2031. A few grams of soil could help solve the mystery of the origins of the Red Planet’s moons.
MMX is expected to arrive at Mars in the summer of 2027. First, the Idefix rover will study the surface of Phobos. The main spacecraft will then collect at least 10 grams of soil using core sampling and pressurized nitrogen jets. After that, it will study the second moon, Deimos.
Scientists will find out whether the moons are captured asteroids or formed from debris left by an ancient collision. And if the samples contain particles from Mars, the mission will also help researchers study the planet itself.
