Japan has launched a spacecraft on a five-year mission to explore Mars’ two moons and bring back samples from Phobos, the larger of the pair.

Japan launched an uncrewed spacecraft toward the Martian moon Phobos on Tuesday (October 20) on a mission intended to become the first to collect samples from the small rocky body and return them to Earth for analysis.

The Martian Moons eXploration mission will aim to bring back samples from Phobos Japan’s mission to collect samples from a Martian moon is off to a good start. Launched atop an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center just after 3:40 p.

Bring back samples from the Martian system.