Japan launches world's first mission to collect samples from Martian moon

Japan successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe on Tuesday, marking the world's first mission to collect rock and sand samples from a Martian moon. The H3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre, with the spacecraft reaching its planned orbit with exceptional precision. The 4,480-kilogram probe will travel to Phobos, Mars' larger moon, with an expected arrival in August 2027. A French-German rover will first land on Phobos, followed by two Japanese landings to collect samples, after which the probe will observe Deimos. The mission, which was delayed from 2024 due to a previous rocket failure, aims to determine how Mars' moons formed and advance future planetary exploration technologies, with samples expected to return to Earth in July 2031.