News by Levels · Level 1 · Student worksheet

Japan Sends MMX toward Mars

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

Japan has launched MMX, a spacecraft going to Mars and its moons. It left Japan on October 20 local time.

The mission aims to bring soil from the moon Phobos to Earth in 2031. It has not landed there yet.

Launch, landing and returning a sample are separate steps. The report confirmed the first step, while later steps remained goals. The launch fell on 19 October in Central European summer time and 20 October in Japan because the places use different time zones.

Editorial correction, 26 October 2026: We corrected factual wording and chronology after checking the sources below. This is a retrospective archive review; the original publication date is retained.

Source: Sources checked 26 October 2026. https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2026/mmx-mission-successfully-launches-idefix-rover-on-its-way-to-martian-moon-phobos

Read and practise

1. Which milestone was already complete?

   1. Returning a Phobos sample to Earth
   2. Launch
   3. Landing and driving on Phobos

2. Why can 19 and 20 October both describe the launch?

   1. The spacecraft necessarily launched twice
   2. One date must be the return to Earth
   3. They refer to different time zones

Your turn

Explain why a launch report and a sample-return report would confirm different achievements.

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/japan-mmx-phobos-sample-mission-launch-october-2026/level-1/