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JAXA Stuff - Yazata - Oct 20, 2026
Today October 20 Japan time, JAXA successfully launched their MMX (Martian Moons Exploration) mission from their Tanegashima space center, atop a Japanese made Mitsubishi H-3 expendable rocket (that rocket model's 10th flight). It's a fairly powerful rocket able to put significant payloads on interplanetary trajectories. The space vehicle it was carrying will head to Mars where it will investigate Mars' two tiny moons and will land on one of them, Phobos. Not only that, it proposes to return samples back to Earth! A very cool, very ambitious mission, that hasn't received as much publicity as it deserves.
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/10/20261020-1_e.html
https://www.mmx.jaxa.jp/en/
![[Image: rcYqumFc?format=jpg&name=small]](https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/2112418083482832896/rcYqumFc?format=jpg&name=small)