NASA to Support JAXA's MMX Mission to Sample Phobos

NASA will contribute instruments and sample curation to JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which launches Oct. 19 from Tanegashima. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in August 2027, survey Phobos and Deimos, and collect a surface sample from Phobos no earlier than December 2028. NASA’s MEGANE spectrograph will map gamma‑ray and neutron emissions to determine the moon’s composition, while the Pneumatic Sampler will gather material using high‑pressure nitrogen. About 15 % of the returned sample will be curated at Houston’s Johnson Space Center for long‑term study. The data will help resolve whether the moons are captured asteroids or impact debris, informing models of early solar‑system evolution and future human missions to Mars.