Japan Successfully Launches Rocket with Martian Moon Probe

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, successfully launched an H3 rocket carrying the Martian Moons eXploration, or MMX, probe on Tuesday.

The No. 10 H3 rocket took off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at 4:41 a.m. About 1 hour and 11 minutes later, the rocket successfully placed the MMX into its planned orbit, completing a successful launch.

The MMX is slated to collect sand samples from Phobos after landing on the Martian moon, and return to Earth in 2031. If successful, it would be the world's first sample return mission from a Martian moon and the first round-trip voyage to the Martian system.

Expectations are high that the MMX mission will provide insights into the origins of Mars and its moons, as well as the origin of life on Earth.

The MMX consists of three modules, with components no longer needed being detached as the mission progresses. The spacecraft weighed about 4.5 tons at launch.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]