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[2026.08.22]
Why Japan Is Targeting Phobos Before Mars
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (TL;DR)
- ▪ Japan's MMX mission is scheduled to launch toward Mars' moons in October 2026.
- ▪ The spacecraft aims to collect at least 10 grams of Phobos dirt and return it to Earth in 2031.
- ▪ Phobos holds ancient Martian dust blasted off the planet by billions of years of asteroid impacts.
- ▪ MMX will deploy a small French-German rover named Idefix to scout the moon's ultra-low-gravity surface.
- ▪ Using Phobos as a scientific stepping stone avoids the massive fuel and risk costs of landing on Mars itself.
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