Japan unveils Mars moon sample-return spacecraft ahead of Oct. 19 launch (photos)

The MMX mission will grab samples of the Mars moon Phobos and haul them to Earth. The world just got its first good looks at some hardware that will make spaceflight history. Last Thursday (Aug. 13), Japan unveiled the spacecraft that make up its Martian Moons eXploration ( MMX ) mission, which aims to snag samples of the Mars moon Phobos and haul them to Earth — something that has never been done [1].

Sources

1. space.com · Japan unveils Mars moon sample-return spacecraft ahead of Oct. 19 launch (photos) Aug 21, 2026

This is the neutral brief the press writes once, for everyone, before each reader’s paper adds its own so-what. It links out; it does not republish. 1 article clustered.

Print your own paper