MMX launch succeeds: H3 Flight 10 begins the journey to Mars’s moons
Based on JAXA’s October 20 launch-result announcement. Times are JST. Sample collection and return to Earth have not yet been achieved.
IllustrationJAXA launched the MMX Mars-moon probe from Tanegashima at 04:41:03 JST on October 20. H3 Flight 10 followed its planned flight and successfully separated the spacecraft about one hour and 11 minutes later.
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Based on JAXA’s October 20 launch-result announcement. Times are JST. Sample collection and return to Earth have not yet been achieved.
Successful separation after the early-morning launch
JAXA reported that H3 Flight 10 lifted off at 04:41:03 JST on October 20. The rocket flew as planned, and MMX’s normal separation and orbital insertion were confirmed approximately 1 hour, 11 minutes and 13 seconds after launch.
The goal is to bring Phobos samples back to Earth
The Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences says MMX aims to observe Mars’s moons at close range and return material collected on Phobos. The journey and sample analysis will investigate the moons’ origins. Launch and separation are the milestones confirmed today; sample collection and return remain future stages.
Sources & further reading
Our own summary based on the public information below.
- JAXA：H3ロケット10号機によるMMXの打ち上げ結果 ↗Source publication date: 2026-10-20
- 日本惑星科学会：MMX打ち上げ成功に関する声明 ↗Source publication date: 2026-10-20
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