Japan launches spacecraft to Mars' moon in mission to bring back soil samples

What happened: Japan launched a spacecraft to Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, on a five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector and a rover and bring back soil samples. Key numbers: Five space agencies have joined forces for the five-year mission. Why it matters: The mission is a joint effort by five of the world's space agencies to land on Phobos and return soil samples. Coverage: 7 outlets in 24h

Japan launched a spacecraft to Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons, on a five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector and a rover and bring back soil samples.

The mission is a joint effort by five of the world's space agencies to land on Phobos and return soil samples.