Japan's Phobos sample-return mission was slated for an October 20, 2026 launch

New Scientist reported that the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft was scheduled to launch from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center on October 20, 2026. If all goes to plan, it should reach Mars in August 2027, orbit alongside Phobos to map its surface and observe Deimos. The mission aims to return a sample that may explain how the two moons formed.