Japan has launched a spacecraft on a mission to collect samples from Mars’s moon Phobos, aiming to investigate how the Martian system formed and shed light on the origins of the solar system.
The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe lifted off aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41am on Tuesday (12:41am Pakistan time), according to a live broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
More than an hour after launch, JAXA confirmed that the spacecraft had separated from the rocket and begun its journey towards the Martian system. The agency also received signals from the probe, confirming that it was operating normally.
“I’d dreamt of this day, so I’m incredibly happy,” JAXA scientist Mari Aida said during the broadcast. “Right now, I feel really relieved.”
Thousands of people watched the launch online despite the early hour in Japan, posting messages of encouragement during the broadcast.
The spacecraft is scheduled to reach the vicinity of Mars around August next year and begin operations around Phobos. During its planned three years in the Martian region, MMX will collect at least 10 grams of material from the moon’s surface before beginning its return journey.
A French-German rover named IDEFIX, after the dog belonging to comic character Asterix, will accompany the mission. It will become the first vehicle to travel across Phobos and conduct surface observations to help establish conditions for a safe landing.
The mission involves cooperation with US and European space agencies, universities and technology companies. MMX will also observe Mars’s second moon, Deimos, although the spacecraft will not land there.
JAXA aims to use the collected material to determine how Phobos and Deimos formed, a question that could help scientists understand the formation of the solar system.
One theory, known as the giant impact hypothesis, suggests that the moons formed after a celestial body collided with Mars. Another, called the capture hypothesis, proposes that Mars pulled asteroids into its orbit through gravitational forces.
Identifying which explanation is correct could help scientists understand how conditions suitable for life developed on the rocky planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
The mission could also contribute to plans for future human exploration of Mars by examining whether Phobos can serve as a natural space station.
