Japan’s Phobos Sample Return

Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) has launched on an H3 rocket and will arrive at Mars in August 2027 to orbit and land on Phobos, deploy a European rover (IDEFIX), perform two touchdowns to collect samples, and return them to Earth (Australia) in 2031 for laboratory study. Those samples could decisively resolve whether Phobos formed from a giant impact with Mars or is a captured asteroid, reshaping theories of planetary formation and small‑body processes. — If successful, MMX will provide concrete physical evidence that can settle a decades‑old scientific question and influence funding, mission priorities, and geopolitical prestige in planetary exploration.