TOKYO, Oct 18 — Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars’s moons to retrieve samples that could help unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth, in what aims to be the first-round trip to the Martian region.
The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe, a collaboration with US and European space agencies as well as numerous universities and tech companies, could also help lay the groundwork for eventual human exploration.
The flagship H3 rocket carrying the MMX is set to blast off from the Tanegashima Space Centre Tuesday at 4:41am (1941 GMT Monday), according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa).
The spacecraft will arrive near Mars one year later, where it will orbit its moon Phobos for up to three years before landing and collecting at least 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of material from the surface.
