Most of us can't get a package delivered across town without a "sorry we missed you" slip. Japan just launched a spacecraft that's going to fly to Mars, scoop up some dirt from one of its moons, and bring it home. The return trip is planned for 2031, and the tracking number, presumably, is very long.

Liftoff From Tanegashima, Destination Phobos

JAXA launched its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission on an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center on October 19 (Eastern time, already October 20 in Japan). The spacecraft should reach Mars in August 2027, study the moons Phobos and Deimos, collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos, and get it back to Earth in 2031.

It's a group effort. The mission costs about $578 million and carries a French-German rover called Idefix, built by CNES and DLR, with NASA and ESA also involved. MMX was originally aimed at 2024 but was delayed by problems with the H3 rocket, so it's good to see the rocket deliver this time.

Why a Tiny Moon Rock Matters

Scientists still argue over where Phobos came from. One theory says it's a captured asteroid, another that it's debris from a giant impact on Mars. A physical sample could help settle that, and it could also hold Martian material knocked off the planet long ago, which would make this a sneaky, low-gravity route to a piece of Mars itself.

Japan has done this before. Its Hayabusa missions returned samples from the asteroids Itokawa and Ryugu, so this team has actually pulled off interplanetary sample returns more than once. If MMX works, it could be the first mission to bring material home from the Martian system.

Ten grams doesn't sound like much until you remember where it's coming from.

Not every project takes twelve years, but if your next Drupal migration or site rebuild feels like a trip to Mars, our team is happy to help you plan the trajectory.

Source: The Guardian