The MMX probe is heading for Mars and its moons! The Martian Moons eXploration mission was launched on 19 October at 9.41 pm (Paris time) from Tanegashima, Japan, aboard an H3 rocket.
Watch the MMX launch live
H3 flight sequence: how will the flight go?
Shedding light on the history of the Martian system
The MMX mission aims to explore the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos. In particular, it will analyse their composition, gain a better understanding of their origin, and return samples from Phobos to Earth. These observations will shed light on the history of the Martian system and, more broadly, on the formation of planets. An analysis of the Martian atmosphere is also planned in order to characterise the weather patterns and the processes at work there.
France heavily involved
France, and through it CNES, is heavily involved in this exploration mission. The French contribution to the MMX mission comprises three parts:
- The MIRS instrument, an imaging spectrometer developed and operated by CNES and LIRA (Laboratory for Instrumentation and Research in Astrophysics), with contributions from other French laboratories,
- The Idefix® rover, designed and built by CNES in collaboration with DLR,
- Cooperation between JAXA and CNES space mechanics teams, particularly regarding the design of the probe’s trajectories.
