Japan launches spacecraft to mysterious moons of Mars
- Last updated: October 20, 2026 | 11:30
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which is leading the bold sampling effort, launched the spacecraft before dawn from the country's main spaceport on Tanegashima Island. WAM
A Japanese spacecraft rocketed towards Mars on Tuesday on a quest to explore its mysterious moons and bring back samples.
Five of the world's space agencies joined forces for the five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector plus a rover on Phobos, the larger and closer of Mars' two pint-sized moons.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which is leading the bold sampling effort, launched the spacecraft before dawn from the country's main spaceport on Tanegashima Island.
WAM