NASA is set to play a significant role in the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission, which aims to enhance understanding of Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos. The mission is scheduled for launch from JAXA’s Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 3:41 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 19.
Mission Objectives
The MMX mission seeks to characterize Mars’ moons and determine the origin of Phobos. A key objective is to collect samples from Phobos and return them to Earth. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, emphasized the mission’s potential to transform scientific understanding of the Mars system, especially as NASA prepares for future human exploration of Mars.
NASA’s Contributions
Nasa’s involvement includes providing the MEGANE spectrograph instrument and the Pneumatic Sampler technology demonstration, as well as communications and navigation support through the Deep Space Network. The agency is also funding U.S. scientists on the MMX science team. The MEGANE instrument will analyze the chemical composition of Phobos by measuring gamma rays and neutrons emitted from its surface.
Scientific Collaboration
The collaboration between NASA and JAXA aims to resolve longstanding questions about the origins of Phobos and Deimos, with theories suggesting they could be remnants from a massive impact on Mars or captured asteroids. Tom Statler, MMX program executive at NASA, noted that understanding these moons could provide insights into the solar system’s early history and the development of water and organic compounds on Earth.
Sample Collection Timeline
The MMX spacecraft is expected to reach Mars in August 2027, where it will conduct a detailed survey of Phobos. The sample collection from Phobos is planned for no earlier than December 2028, with the return of the samples to Earth anticipated in 2031. NASA will curate approximately 15% of the samples at its Johnson Space Center in Houston, ensuring their availability for research over the coming decades.
Technological Development
The MEGANE instrument was developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, while the pneumatic sampler mechanism was created by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company. NASA’s contributions to the MMX mission were developed under the agency’s Discovery Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Source: NASA
