Oct 20, Kathmandu - Japan has launched a historic space mission with the goal of collecting samples from the Martian moon Phobos and bringing them back to Earth. Scientists hope that this will reveal new facts about the origin of the solar system and the beginning of life on Earth.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the H-3 rocket carrying the unmanned Martian Moon Exploration (MMX) spacecraft was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on Tuesday morning. The spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket more than an hour after launch.

The spacecraft will approach Mars in August 2027. It will then orbit Phobos and collect at least 10 grams of surface material. The French-German rover ‘Edfix’ will also observe the surface of Phobos and attempt a safe landing.

According to JAXA, the mission will gather information about the origin of Mars and its two moons Phobos and Deimos. One theory suggests that the moon was formed by a collision between Mars and another celestial body, while another suggests that they were asteroids pulled by Mars' gravity. Scientists believe that finding out which of these theories is correct will help them understand how a life-friendly environment developed on the rocky planet.

Nicky Fox, administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said that studying the samples could help prepare for sending humans to Mars in the future. The mission is also being carried out by the US, the European Space Agency, universities and technology companies.

Meanwhile, the US and China are competing in the campaign to bring rock samples from Mars to Earth. NASA's 'Perseverance' rover has been collecting samples on Mars since 2021. However, the US administration canceled the mission to return those samples to Earth. China aims to launch Tianwen-3 around 2028 and bring Martian samples to Earth by 2031.