Space · Tokyo, Japan · October 18, 2026

Japan to launch first mission to bring back samples from Mars moon

Reported by 1 outlet · under-reported · first reported Oct 18, 4:11 AM ET

Japan's space agency will lead a five-year mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars's two small moons, the first such attempt. Scientists hope it will reveal how Phobos and Deimos formed.

Why it matters

Returning samples from the Martian system would be a milestone for planetary science.

Background

JAXA has returned asteroid samples with its Hayabusa missions. The origin of Mars's moons, captured asteroids or debris from an impact, is debated.

The story so far

1. Oct 17NASA joins Japan's mission to unlock the mysteries of Mars' moons
2. Oct 18Japan to launch first mission to bring back samples from Mars moon
3. Oct 19Japan launches mission to bring back samples from Mars moon Phobos
4. Oct 20Japan launches mission to return samples from Mars moon Phobos
5. Oct 24NASA speeds up Moon lander plans for 2028
6. Nov 1Mars crew emerges after 378-day NASA simulation
7. Nov 2NASA ends year-long Mars simulation
8. Nov 10Mars mission crew emerges after year in isolation

Follow the whole story →

Sources

• The Guardian ↗Oct 18, 4:11 AM ET

This summary was written automatically from the reporting linked above; follow the sources for the full story. How One Turn works.

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