The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) is a robotic space probe set for launch in 2024 to bring back the first samples from Mars' largest moon Phobos. Developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and announced on 9 June 2015, MMX will land and collect samples from Phobos once or twice, along with conducting Deimos flyby observations and monitoring Mars' climate.
The mission aims to provide key information to help determine whether the Martian moons are captured asteroids or the result of a larger body hitting Mars. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and other Japanese government officials officially approved the MMX project to proceed into development on 19 February 2020, according to a post on JAXA's website.
Following a study by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), it was decided that the spacecraft will deliver a small rover provided by CNES and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).The two Co-PI of this rover are Dr. Patrick Michel (UCA, OCA, CNRS) and Dr. Stephan Ulamec (Microgravity User Support Center -MUSC-, German Space Agency -DLR-).
