JAXA’s MMX spacecraft blasts off on an H3 rocket to explore Phobos and Deimos and return the first Martian system samples to Earth by 2031.

How were the mysterious moons of Mars formed, and could they hold clues to the origin of life? In this episode, we unpack the successful launch of Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission. On October 20, 2026, JAXA’s flagship H3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center, sending a 5-ton spacecraft on a five-year journey to study Phobos and Deimos and execute the first-ever sample return from the Martian system.



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This episode includes AI-generated content.