A Japanese spacecraft embarked on a journey towards Mars on Tuesday, aiming to explore its enigmatic moons and retrieve samples. This unprecedented mission is a collaborative effort involving five of the world’s space agencies, with a focus on landing a robotic prospector and a rover on Phobos, one of Mars’s two tiny moons.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spearheaded the ambitious sampling endeavor, launching the spacecraft from Tanegashima Island’s main spaceport before dawn. The successful separation of the spacecraft from the rocket’s upper stage was met with jubilation by officials and flight controllers.

While NASA and China have had successful missions to Mars, none have ventured to Phobos or its companion Deimos, let alone collected samples from Mars or its moons. If successful, samples from Phobos, including dust, soil, and rocks, are expected to reach Earth by 2031.

The mission, named MMX (Martian Moons Exploration), features a five-ton spacecraft scheduled to reach Mars by late summer. The spacecraft will rendezvous with Phobos and release a French-German rover named Idefix. This rover, no larger than a microwave oven, will land on Phobos, using its low gravity to maneuver.

Idefix is designed to self-right upon landing, but challenges may arise if it encounters soft soil or obstacles. Acting as a safety scout, the rover will explore Phobos for 100 days to assist in the selection of a suitable landing site for the stationary lander, tasked with collecting samples.

The lander will spend two hours on Phobos, gathering material before departing for Earth in 2030. The mission aims to shed light on the formation of Mars’s moons and potentially uncover traces of Mars on Phobos. The findings could provide valuable insights into planetary formation and the possibility of life beyond Earth.

Japan’s mission is not the only one eyeing the Martian system’s scientific potential. China and NASA are also planning sample return missions to Mars, with all aiming for a sample return by 2031. The collaborative effort involves significant investments from various space agencies, signaling a shared commitment to unraveling the mysteries of Mars and its moons.