TANEGASHIMA, Japan, Oct. 20, 2026 - Japan launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission aboard an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center,^[1][2] lifting off from Pad 2 of the Yoshinobu Launch Complex^[3] early on 20 October local time.^[4] The spacecraft separated from the rocket's upper stage about 71 minutes after liftoff^[5] and entered its interplanetary trajectory.^[6] MMX, led by JAXA,^[7] will explore Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos^[8] and is due to arrive at Mars in August 2027.^[9] It will orbit Phobos for three years^[10] and aims to be the first mission to land on Phobos,^[11] carrying the Idefix rover built by the French and German space agencies.^[12] At least 10 grams of Phobos material are to come back,^[13] landing in Australia in 2031.^[14] Partners include NASA, CNES, DLR and ESA.^[15] NASA contributed hardware, communications support and about $87 million^[16] and will receive at least 15% of the returned samples.^[17] The last attempt to bring back material from Phobos, Russia's Phobos-Grunt in 2011, failed to leave Earth orbit.^[18] Impact Insight. Phobos is a small, dark, irregular moon that may be a captured asteroid or debris from an ancient impact on Mars, and only physical samples can settle which. Sample-return missions to small bodies, from Hayabusa2 to OSIRIS-REx and now MMX, are how scientists learn what such objects are actually made of and how solid they are, knowledge that planetary defense needs before it could ever deflect one.