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Japan launches Mars moon sample-return mission

Japan launched an uncrewed MMX spacecraft on Tuesday to collect samples from Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons, in a mission joined by five international space agencies. The $578 million project aims to return dust, soil and rocks to Earth in 2031 to help study how the moons formed and the origins of the Solar System. Reports differ on whether the mission duration is three or five years.

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Japan launches mission to Mars to bring back samples from its moon Sky News – World
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Japan launched a spacecraft on Tuesday on a five-year mission to explore Mars' mysterious moons, Phobos and Deimos, and bring back samples for the first time. The $578 million project aims to deliver dust, soil and rocks to Earth in 2031, potentially shedding light on how the moons formed and the origins of life.

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World
France 24

Japan launches mission to explore Mars' moons and bring back samples

Japan launched a spacecraft on Tuesday on a five-year mission to explore Mars' mysterious moons, Phobos and Deimos, and bring back samples for the first time. The $578 million project aims to deliver dust, soil and rocks to Earth in 2031, potentially shedding light on how the moons formed and the origins of life.

World
Euronews

Japan launches mission to bring back samples from Mars’s moon Phobos

Japan’s H3 rocket launched the MMX probe on Tuesday, starting a three-year mission to collect samples from Phobos and study the origins of the Solar System.

World
Euronews

Japan launches unprecedented mission to bring back samples from Mars’ moon phobos

NASA has landed nine spacecraft on Mars over the past 50 years, and China touched down in 2021, but no one has returned samples from Mars, let alone its moons.

World
Al Jazeera

Japan launches historic mission to bring back Mars moon samples

World
PBS

Japan launches spacecraft to Mars' moon in mission to bring back soil samples

Five of the world's space agencies have joined forces for the five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector plus a rover on Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons.

Japan launches mission to Mars to bring back samples from its moonSky News – World
Sky

Japan launches mission to Mars to bring back samples from its moon

Japan launched a spacecraft towards Mars in a ground-breaking mission to bring back samples from the largest of the planet's two moons.

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