Event
Martian Moon eXploration Launch Party
The ESPG would like to invite you to the MMX Launch party organised on October 20th by PhD students working on projects in collaboration between the University of Melbourne, the University of Tokyo and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). We booked a room on Parkville campus (McCoy building) for this event, along with morning coffee and breakfast. The participation is free but is limited to 30 persons. Interested participants are asked to fill this poll by Friday October 16th.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), in collaboration with the NASA, ASA, ESA, DLR and CNES worked on the Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) mission for the past 8 years with the objective of sending a spacecraft toward Phobos, the largest Martian moon.
While the launch is scheduled on October 20th from Tanegashima Island (Japan), arrival in the Mars-moon system is expected in 2027 with start of operation (flybys, landings, sampling, etc.). MMX spacecraft journey back to Earth will be in 2030 with capsule recover on Earth expected in 2031 in Woomera (Australia).
The main objective: sampling up to 10 grams of materials from Phobos surface with potential Martian materials.
Analysis of such samples along with all distant observations made during flybys would allow us to improve our understanding on the Evolution of the Inner and Outer Solar System, along with resolving the mystery around the formation of both Phobos and Deimos (captured asteroids or products of a large impact).
This would be the 3rd sample return mission led by JAXA and the first one to retrieve materials from the Martian system with potential materials from Mars.
More details on the mission are available on this website: https://www.mmx.jaxa.jp/en/