JAXA to launch MMX probe to Mars moons in October 2026

JAXA Martian Moons eXploration Phobos sample return H3 rocket space exploration

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is scheduled to launch on October 20, 2026. The probe will be carried by an H3 rocket in a high-capacity 24L configuration from the Tanegashima Space Center.

This international collaboration, involving NASA, ESA, CNES, and DLR, aims to perform a world-first sample return from a Martian moon. The mission will target Phobos, where the probe intends to land and collect at least 10 grams of surface material using the IDEFIX rover. The spacecraft will also observe the moon Deimos during its three-year orbital mission.

Scientists hope the collected samples will clarify the origins of the solar system and the conditions necessary for life on Earth by studying how water and organic compounds were transported to rocky planets. Additionally, the mission will test technologies to potentially use Phobos as a natural space station for future crewed Mars expeditions. The sample return capsule is expected to land in Australia in 2031.

Entities

Deimos · ESA · H3 Rocket · JAXA · Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Mars · Martian Moons eXploration · NASA · Phobos · Tanegashima Space Center

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The mission will investigate the possibility of using Phobos as a natural space station. information.tv5monde.com · tribunanoticias.mx
[● 3 SOURCES] The sample return capsule is scheduled to land in Australia in 2031. www.24hod.sk · information.tv5monde.com · tribunanoticias.mx
[● 3 SOURCES] The probe will also observe the Martian moon Deimos without landing on it. www.24hod.sk · information.tv5monde.com · tribunanoticias.mx
[● 3 SOURCES] The mission is an international collaboration involving NASA, ESA, CNES, and DLR. information.tv5monde.com · tribunanoticias.mx · news.mynavi.jp
[● 4 SOURCES] The mission aims to land on Phobos to collect at least 10 grams of surface material. www.24hod.sk · www.fnn.jp · information.tv5monde.com · tribunanoticias.mx
[● 4 SOURCES] JAXA will launch the MMX probe on October 20, 2026, at 04:41:03 from the Tanegashima Space Center. www.fnn.jp · information.tv5monde.com · tribunanoticias.mx · news.mynavi.jp
[● 2 SOURCES] The MMX probe will use an H3 rocket in the 24L configuration, equipped with four SRB-3 solid rocket boosters. www.fnn.jp · news.mynavi.jp
[● 3 SOURCES] The IDEFIX rover will be used to perform surface observations on Phobos. www.24hod.sk · information.tv5monde.com · tribunanoticias.mx