Mars

Oct 19, 2026 UTC· 1 event in window

This period saw a single but significant development: Japan's JAXA-led Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is scheduled to launch on 19 October, aiming to be the first to collect and return samples from Phobos, Mars's largest moon. According to NHK and the European Space Agency, the spacecraft carries a 15-gram hopping rover, with NASA cooperating on the mission to study the origins of Mars's moons and the early solar system. Compared to last period's milestone of Perseverance's driving record, this shifts the focus from surface roving to sample-return from a Martian moon, a more pioneering endeavor.

• Japan's JAXA-led MMX mission is scheduled to launch on 19 October, targeting the first-ever sample collection and return from Phobos, Mars's largest moon.
• The mission includes a 15-gram hopping rover designed to move across Phobos's surface.
• NASA is cooperating on the mission, which aims to shed light on the origins of Mars's moons and the early solar system.
• Reported by NHK and the European Space Agency, the mission is a world-first round-trip effort to sample a Martian moon.