Daily Junction.mobi portal<p>The rover will then right itself and travel over the surface during an operational period expected to last about 100 days. It will be using several sensors, including a Raman spectrometer and radiometer, to make a final call about where the exploration module should land.</p>
<figure class="align-center "> <img alt="MMX mission gif" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/765405/original/file-20261011-50-gw9pd5.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/765405/original/file-20261011-50-gw9pd5.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/765405/original/file-20261011-50-gw9pd5.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/765405/original/file-20261011-50-gw9pd5.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/765405/original/file-20261011-50-gw9pd5.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/765405/original/file-20261011-50-gw9pd5.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/765405/original/file-20261011-50-gw9pd5.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"> <figcaption> <span class="caption">Grab n'go: the MMX exploration module will touch down to collect a sample of soil from Phobos.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3SBNgwVVCk">Jaxa</a></span> </figcaption> </figure>
<p>In 2030, the module will swoop down and land on Phobos, remaining on its surface for about 2.5 hours. It will be able to extract samples from the surface once or possibly twice by landing again at a different location. The ability to sample from more than one place on Phobos is vital to understanding the moon’s composition.</p>
<p>The exploration module will use either an instrument called the C-sampler to drill a core or a device knowns as the P-sampler, which blows a jet of nitrogen gas to blast soil and loose pebbles off the surface and into a sample collection chamber. </p>
<p>The C-sampler would be able to collect a core from up to 2cm below the surface. This would provide the mission with a sample composition unaltered by solar radiation, which causes chemical changes to planetary surfaces over time. The P-sampler is a back-up option, but carries some small risk of toppling the spacecraft in low gravitational fields like the one on Phobos. </p>
<p>Having gathered at least 10 grams of material, the spacecraft will leave the Martian moon, separating from its landing gear. It will then travel back to Earth, arriving in 2031. On its approach, the spacecraft will eject its sample probe, which will then descend through Earth’s atmosphere. It will land using parachutes in Australia, where it will be recovered and transported to Japan.</p>
<p>A potential side-benefit of the mission is that samples from Phobos might also include <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/audacious-space-heist-japan-aims-bring-home-bits-martian-moon">material from Mars</a>. Phobos closely orbits the red planet and is thought to be constantly hoovering up Martian soil. This soil is thought to be regularly ejected from the planet’s surface by asteroid impacts. </p>
<p>MMX could therefore be considered a lite-version of the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-sample-return/">Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission</a>. MSR, a collaboration between the US and European space agencies, would have sent rock samples from the Martian surface to Earth. However, budgetary pressures led to the programme being <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/nasa-s-mars-sample-return-mission-dead">effectively cancelled</a> by US Congress. </p>
<p>If scientists get lucky with the samples from MMX, they might get a nice consolation prize.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/294129/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-brown-159342">Daniel Brown</a>, Lecturer in Astronomy, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nottingham-trent-university-1338">Nottingham Trent University</a></em></span></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/japans-mmx-mission-aims-to-swipe-soil-samples-from-mars-moon-phobos-294129">original article</a>.</p> </div>