Japan launches probe in historic bid to collect sample from Mars moon

What happened: Japan launched its H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center carrying JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration probe, known as MMX, on a five-year mission to retrieve samples from Mars' moons. Key numbers: Launch at 4:41 a.m. Tuesday; probe separation 1 hour and 11 minutes after launch; five-year mission. Why it matters: The mission could shed light on the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. It is the first time the H3 rocket has sent a spacecraft into interplanetary space. Coverage: 3 outlets in 24h

Japan launched its H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center carrying JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration probe, known as MMX, on a five-year mission to retrieve samples from Mars' moons.

The mission could shed light on the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. It is the first time the H3 rocket has sent a spacecraft into interplanetary space.