JAXA’s MMX Mission Sets Course for Phobos Sample Return
JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission launches toward Mars, aims to land on Phobos, collect regolith, and bring the first Mars‑system sample back to Earth by 2031.
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New Discoveries
The latest findings from Mars missions and research.
MMX Launches Toward Phobos: First Mission to Orbit and Sample Mars’s Moon
The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) lifted off on an H3 rocket, beginning the first orbit and sample‑return mission to Phobos, with international collaboration driving the science.
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Japan’s MMX Mission: Unveiling the Secrets of Phobos and Deimos
Explore how Japan’s MMX spacecraft will land on Phobos, collect the first Martian‑moon samples, and return them to Earth for scientific study.
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Perseverance Sets New Mars Driving Record, Eyes More Miles Ahead
NASA's Perseverance rover has driven 28.10 miles on Mars, surpassing Opportunity’s record and aims to double that distance while probing Jezero’s ancient lakebed.
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Perseverance Rover Sets New Mars Travel Record
After 5½ years, NASA’s Perseverance rover has traveled 45.22 km on Mars, surpassing Opportunity and showcasing advanced AutoNav technology.
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Starship Turns 10: How Close Is SpaceX to a Mars Mission?
A decade after its debut, SpaceX's Starship marks its 10th birthday. Explore its evolution, recent milestones, and the realistic timeline for a Mars launch.
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A Virtual Fly‑by of Schiaparelli Crater with ESA’s Mars Express
Explore ESA’s new Mars Express animation of Schiaparelli Crater, its geology, history, and cultural ties, and learn why this ancient basin still fascinates scientists.
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Celebrating the Martian New Year: What Happens on 30 September 2026?
Discover how the Martian calendar works, the unique seasons on the Red Planet, and what the upcoming New Year looks like for future explorers.
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BepiColombo’s Mercury Transfer Module separates, opening the path to the Sun‑swept planet
ESA’s press briefing on 31 August 2026 details the upcoming separation of BepiColombo’s Mercury Transfer Module and the next steps toward Mercury orbit insertion in November 2026.
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Mars’ Strange Arsia Mons Cloud Shows Rare Homogeneous Ice Formation
New ESA research reveals that the elongated cloud over Arsia Mons forms by an exotic homogeneous nucleation process, a first for any planetary atmosphere.
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Japan’s MMX Mission to Phobos Launches in October 2026
Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission will lift off on 20 Oct 2026, aiming to orbit, land on and return samples from Phobos, Mars’s mysterious moon.
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