https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-to-launch-spacecraft-on-a-mission-to-get-samples-from-a-martian-moonContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-to-launch-spacecraft-on-a-mission-to-get-samples-from-a-martian-moonhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-to-launch-spacecraft-on-a-mission-to-get-samples-from-a-martian-moon#u144854Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:17:14 +0000Japan launched the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) spacecraft on Tuesday to collect soil samples from Phobos, one of the two potato-shaped moons of Mars. The $578 million mission aims to return the first-ever samples from the Martian system to Earth by 2031. Led by JAXA, the spacecraft will travel to Phobos to gather material that scientists believe will explain how Phobos and its sibling moon, Deimos, formed and potentially provide clues regarding the origins of life in the solar system.Why it mattersPhobos is described as one of the most important unclimbed mountains in the solar system. Thi