"Japanese Spacecraft Sets Course for Mars' Enigmatic Moons"

Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft mission aims to explore the mysterious moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. The mission involves drilling and sampling Phobos, then returning the collected samples back to Earth. The spacecraft will carry nearly a dozen scientific instruments, including two sampling mechanisms for collecting material from Phobos. The mission will help scientists understand the origin and evolution of the solar system and determine whether the moons are captured asteroids or the aftermath of a giant impact on Mars. The MMX spacecraft is scheduled to launch next year and return the samples to Earth in 2029.