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JAXA Plans Oct. 19, 2026 MMX Phobos Sample Launch

By Drooid · Oct 18, 2026, 2:30 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

JAXA will launch the MMX spacecraft on Oct. 19, 2026 to return Phobos samples.
The launch will occur from Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H3 rocket.
MMX will reach Mars in August 2027 and orbit Phobos for up to three years.
The spacecraft carries a pneumatic sampler and corer to collect at least 10 grams of regolith.
Scientists aim to determine whether Phobos and Deimos are captured asteroids or impact-generated debris.

History

Historical Context

NASA launched the Discovery-class Stardust probe on 7 February 1999 to fly through comet Wild 2’s coma and capture dust in an aerogel collector. The capsule returned to Earth on 15 January 2006 with about 0.2 mg of comet particles, marking the first comet sample-return and building on earlier returns such as Genesis (2004). The success spurred new programs, including JAXA’s MMX mission to retrieve Phobos material.

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Story summary

JAXA will launch the MMX spacecraft on Oct. 19, 2026 to return Phobos samples.
The launch will occur from Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H3 rocket.
MMX will reach Mars in August 2027 and orbit Phobos for up to three years.
The spacecraft carries a pneumatic sampler and corer to collect at least 10 grams of regolith.
Scientists aim to determine whether Phobos and Deimos are captured asteroids or impact-generated debris.

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