https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-s-mission-to-mars-s-moons-takes-offContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-s-mission-to-mars-s-moons-takes-offhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-s-mission-to-mars-s-moons-takes-off#u161307Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:02:24 +0000Japan launched the Martian Moons eXploration interplanetary probe on October 20, 2026, from the Tanegashima Space Center using an H3 Launch Vehicle. The spacecraft successfully reached its designated orbit to target the Martian moon Phobos. The mission aims to conduct the world's first-ever sample return from the Martian sphere, specifically seeking to collect rocks and soil samples from Phobos, and may also gather Mars dust. Experts describe the initiative as a bold undertaking to reveal secrets about Mars's two tiny moons.Why it mattersMars has two tiny moons that researchers note