Once-in-a-lifetime chance: Japan launches Mars moon mission
Japan has launched the MMX spacecraft to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars’s moons, in a mission that aims to return material to Earth in 2031. The…
Japan’s MMX spacecraft lifted off before dawn from Tanegashima, carrying a mission to investigate the origins of Mars’s moons. The once-in-a-lifetime chance japan launches mission aims to collect soil and rock from Phobos and return the samples to Earth.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) said the spacecraft launched aboard the H3 rocket and separated from its upper stage about an hour later, marking a successful start. It is expected to reach Mars’s orbit in August next year, with its return to Earth scheduled for 2031.
The mission’s target is Phobos, the larger of Mars’s two small moons. No spacecraft has previously attempted to land on either Phobos or Deimos, making the project a first for exploration of the Martian moons.
That makes the mission a scientific gamble with a clear payoff at stake: samples gathered from Phobos could help researchers assess competing explanations for how the moons formed, while informing the design of future Mars missions.
Rover will scout Phobos before sampling
The five-tonne spacecraft will carry a small French-German rover named Idefix. After reaching Phobos, the main craft is scheduled to release the rover, which will survey the surface for 100 days and identify potential landing and sampling sites.
Phobos has gravity 1/1,000th as strong as Earth’s. The rover is expected to bounce across the surface for several minutes before stopping, according to the mission description in The Guardian’s report.
A four-legged stationary lander will then descend to gather material. It is planned to spend two hours drilling and collecting samples before lifting off. The spacecraft will also observe Deimos during several flybys, then leave Mars’s orbit in November 2030.
The mission is seeking at least 10g of soil and rock from Phobos. Jaxa’s schedule calls for the spacecraft to return to Earth in 2031.
“There’s a lot of adrenaline and a lot of excitement and a lot of wow,” said Nasa astrophysicist Tom Statler, who is involved in the Japan-led project.
Samples could test theories about the moons
Scientists have proposed two main explanations for the origin of Phobos and Deimos. Under the “giant impact” hypothesis, the moons formed after a celestial body struck Mars. The “capture” hypothesis suggests they are asteroids drawn in by the planet’s gravity.
Analysing material from Phobos could help researchers determine which explanation fits the evidence. Jaxa said that resolving the question could reveal “how a habitable environment for life might have arisen on the terrestrial planets”.
The scientific interest reaches beyond the moons themselves. The Guardian reported that researchers hope samples could offer clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. Nasa said findings from MMX could also help shape future Mars missions, including crewed expeditions.
Five space agencies are collaborating on the five-year project. The Guardian reported the mission’s cost as $578m.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We are part of the first sample return mission from the Martian system,” said Markus Grebenstein, rover chief at the Germany Space Agency.
Source: theguardian.com
