H3 launch and spacecraft separation

JAXA said H3 Flight No. 10 lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41:03 a.m. Japan Standard Time on October 20 carrying the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft. The rocket flew as planned, and MMX separated normally about 1 hour, 11 minutes and 13 seconds after launch and entered its intended trajectory.

Journey to Mars and the study of Phobos

MMX is due to reach Mars in August 2027 and survey Phobos and Deimos. Its central scientific question is how the Martian moons formed, using mapping and measurements of their surface composition to distinguish competing origin scenarios.

According to NASA, Phobos sampling is planned no earlier than December 2028, with the capsule’s return to Earth planned for 2031.

Sources