Japan's flagship H3 rocket carrying the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe prepares for lift-off from Tanegashima Space Center. (JAXA pic)TOKYO: Japanese scientists successfully launched a spacecraft Tuesday that aims to be the first to retrieve samples from one of Mars's moons, potentially helping unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.

The flagship H3 rocket carrying the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe blasted off into a pitch black sky from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41am (1941 GMT Monday), according to a live stream broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Over an hour later, JAXA announced via the live broadcast that the probe had successfully separated from the H3 and was "beginning its journey toward the Martian system".