Japan to launch historic round-trip mission to Mars moon

Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars' 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 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 Center on Oct 20 at 4.41am local time, 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 10g of material from the surface.