The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Martian Moons eXplorer (MMX) mission successfully launched on October 20, 2026, at 04:41:03 (JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The H3 Launch Vehicle carried MMX toward its destination for a little over an hour before separating from the spacecraft at approximately 06:02:16 (JST). The MMX spacecraft now journeys on toward Mars for roughly one year, when it will begin its mission to collect samples from the Martian Moon Phobos, to bring back to Earth when it is scheduled to return in 2031.
You can see MMX taking off at the Yoshinobu Launch Complex located on the southeastern tip of Tanegashima, the easternmost of the Ōsumi Islands. The image was likely taken from the Tanegashima Space Center, showing the Ōsaki range in the foreground.
MMX is equipped with 13 scientific instruments including imaging systems, which will regularly transmit images back to Earth throughout the mission, allowing us to get a glimpse into its observations. For more images from the launch and more about the MMX mission, check JAXA's dedicated website here.
The image was taken by JAXA and minimally edited for contrast by Alexander Schneeberger, member of the communications and outreach team at the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH). The University of Bern contributes to MMX with simulations and modelling, as well as outreach and communications activities as part of an international outreach effort surrounding the mission.
