The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced Thursday that it will launch the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) probe on October 20 from the Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H3 rocket in its most powerful 2-4 configuration.
The mission targets Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, which orbits about 6,000 kilometers above the Martian surface and measures roughly 20 to 30 kilometers in diameter.
MMX is a joint international effort to investigate the origin of Mars' moons and to develop technologies for future space exploration.
The spacecraft consists of three modules for the outbound journey, Phobos exploration, and Earth return, with a launch mass of 4,480 kilograms and a deployed width of about 9 meters.
After arriving in Mars orbit roughly one year after launch, a rover developed jointly by French and German teams will land on Phobos, followed by two landing attempts by the main spacecraft to collect more than 10 grams of sand and rock.
A sample capsule will be released for retrieval in Australia when the spacecraft returns to Earth in fiscal 2031.
The launch was originally planned for 2024 but was delayed after the failure of the H3 rocket's maiden flight in 2023.
JAXA said the mission will proceed if all systems perform as expected during the cruise and orbital phases.
Japan to launch probe on world's 1st Martian moon sample mission
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