Japan’s space agency, JAXA, plans to send a spacecraft called MMX to Mars. An H3 rocket will carry it from Japan on October 20, Japan time. NASA is helping with tools and other support.
MMX will study Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Scientists want to know how they formed. Perhaps Mars pulled in two large space rocks. Or perhaps a crash on Mars sent rock into space. That rock may have formed the moons.
MMX plans to reach Mars in August 2027. It will collect soil and small stones from Phobos in 2030. It aims to bring them to Earth in 2031. Scientists will study them to learn more about the moons.
