JAXA's MMX Mission to Mars Moon Phobos Launches Oct. 19 for First Sample Return

Japan's JAXA will launch its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft to Phobos on October 19, 2026, atop an H3-24L rocket. The mission aims to return at least 10 grams of Phobos soil to Earth in 2031 — the first samples ever retrieved from the Martian system.

• Launch set for Oct. 19, 2026 at 19:41 UTC from Tanegashima, backup window through Nov. 7
• The 4,480 kg spacecraft carries 11 instruments across three modules plus a rover
• A capsule with Phobos regolith is expected to land in the Australian desert in 2031
• Samples will test three origin theories: asteroid capture, giant impact, and disruptive partial capture