Japan is preparing to launch a spacecraft on a mission to collect samples from one of Mars' moons, Phys.org reports. The publication listed the mission in a report dated Sunday, 18 October 2026.
According to Phys.org, the spacecraft's objective is to bring back material from a Martian moon. The report did not specify which of the two moons, Phobos or Deimos, is the target, nor did it give a launch date or details of the mission's timeline.
The report also did not name the spacecraft or the agency operating the launch. Japan's space program is led by JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, though Phys.org's summary did not state the operator.
Sample-return missions are designed to bring physical material back to Earth so that scientists can study it directly in laboratories. The approach differs from remote observation by instruments on a spacecraft, because returned samples can be examined with equipment on the ground.
Phys.org's report gave no further information on the mission's design, cost or expected duration. It also did not say whether the samples would be collected from the moon's surface or from surrounding material.
The headline and summary from Phys.org are the only details available at this time, and the publication's full article was not accessible.
What to watch next: official announcements from Japan's space authorities for the launch schedule, the chosen target moon and the mission's planned return of samples to Earth.
