Japan's historic Mars moon sample-return mission marks a significant space milestone.
Context
What happened: Japan launched a five-year uncrewed mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, and return them to Earth by 2031.
Key numbers: Five-year mission. Samples to return by 2031. Phobos is one of Mars' two moons.
Why it matters: If successful, it would be the first mission to bring back samples from a moon of Mars for scientists to study.
Coverage: 10 outlets in 24h
What changed
Japan launched a five-year uncrewed mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, and return them to Earth by 2031.
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Oct 20, 2026 06:27 AM ET