TOKYO: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft on Tuesday to collect the first samples from Phobos and return them to Earth.
An H3 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Tanegashima Space Centre. Scientists aim to retrieve at least 10 grams of soil from the Martian moon.
Researchers hope the samples will help explain how Phobos and its smaller neighbour, Deimos, formed. One theory holds that both moons emerged from debris after a large object struck Mars.
Another suggests the planet captured asteroids that became the moons. Meanwhile, project manager Yasuhiro Kawakatsu said the findings could help scientists assess whether a Martian moon could serve as a base for future crewed missions.
“Martian moons have never been fully investigated,” he said. MMX should reach the Mars region about a year after launch. It then plans three years of observation and sampling, including flybys of Deimos.
Before the main spacecraft lands, the French-German rover Idefix is due to explore Phobos for about 100 days around 2029. Its observations should help the team choose a suitable landing site.
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Sampling combines two methods. A US device uses pressurised gas to lift surface dust, while Japan’s coring tool collects material from about two centimetres below ground. JAXA plans two sampling attempts to gather material from different locations.
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However, Phobos’ weak gravity makes landing difficult. The spacecraft must touch down without bouncing and collect samples within two hours.
International partners are supplying instruments and communications support. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contributes sampling equipment and a device to study the moon’s composition.
After collection, a heat-protected capsule is expected to return the samples to Earth in 2031, landing in Australia before shipment to Japan.
