Small-body mission · JAXA

MMX (Martian Moons eXploration)

JAXA's planned mission to the moons of Mars — it will study Phobos and Deimos and return a sample of Phobos to Earth, testing whether the Martian moons are captured asteroids or debris from a giant impact.

PlannedSample-Return Mission Rendezvous Mission Lander Mission

Targets & sample

Target bodies:Phobos

Also:Phobos (sample return) and Deimos (flybys)

Mission & science

Goals: Return a sample of Phobos and determine the origin of the Martian moons.
Engineering milestones: Launch planned for the mid-2020s; sample return planned several years later.
Outcome: Planned — not yet launched.
Known limitations: A planned mission; no outcomes exist yet.

Knowledge connections

Member of groupSample-Return Mission
Member of groupRendezvous Mission
Member of groupLander Mission
Operated byJAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
Target ofPhobos
Tracked byJAXA Deep Space Network
Member of groupMars Exploration

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

JAXAJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Japanese missions (Hayabusa, Akatsuki) and space science.

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