Japan is sending a spacecraft to grab a scoop of a Mars moon
MarsFrom: ESA · rewritten for kids by Osmo
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The Martian Moons eXploration mission, called MMX, is set to launch on an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on 20 October 2026. Its target is Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons. MMX will be the first mission to collect a sample from Phobos and return it to Earth, where scientists can study it with powerful lab equipment. This kind of mission is called a sample return. It is led by JAXA, Japan's space agency, together with NASA, CNES in France, DLR in Germany and the European Space Agency.
Big word
sample: A small piece of something that scientists collect so they can study the whole thing.
Quiz time: circle the right answer
1. Which moon is MMX going to visit?AOur MoonBPhobos, a moon of MarsCA moon of Saturn
2. Which country's space agency leads the MMX mission?AJapanBBrazilCCanada
3. What will MMX bring back to Earth?AA sample of PhobosBA Mars roverCAn astronaut
Your turn
Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. Draw Mars with its two moons and label them.
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