TOKYO:Japanese scientists launched a spacecraft Tuesday that aims to be the first to retrieve samples from one of Mars’s moons, potentially helping unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.

The flagship H3 rocket carrying the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe blasted off into a pitch black sky from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41 am (1941 GMT Monday), according to a livestream broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Despite the early hour in Japan, thousands of people tuned into the live stream, posting messages of encouragement.

If successful, the spacecraft will arrive near Mars around August next year, where it will orbit one of its moons, Phobos.

MMX will later land on Phobos and collect at least 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of material from the surface during its planned three years in the Red Planet’s vicinity.

The mission -- which aims to be the first round trip to the Martian region -- is a collaboration with US and European space agencies, as well as numerous universities and tech companies.

Those involved hope it will help lay the groundwork for eventual human exploration.

JAXA hopes the mission will reveal how Mars and its two moons formed, a key piece of knowledge in working out how the Solar System was born.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2026