# Japan launches mission to retrieve samples from Mars’ moon Phobos

https://mins.news/en/item/107387

- Ars Technica, 2026-10-20 05:59 UTC
- Science
- Original: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/10/japan-launches-mission-to-bring-home-a-piece-of-the-martian-moon-phobos/

> Japan launched its $578 million Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission for a five-year expedition to land on Phobos, Mars’ largest moon, collect samples and return them to Earth. The spacecraft lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center aboard Japan’s H3 rocket.

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- [Japan launches MMX probe on mission to retrieve samples from Phobos](https://mins.news/en/item/107579) — euronews, 2026-10-20
- [Japan’s MMX probe sets course for Mars moon Phobos](https://mins.news/en/item/107429) — DW, 2026-10-20
- [Mission launches from Japan to collect a sample from Mars’s moon](https://mins.news/en/video/107035) — BBC News, 2026-10-19