Japan set for five-year Mars moon mission

Japan is preparing the first ever round-trip mission to Mars potentially to unlock how the Solar System formed and lay the groundwork for humans living on the Red Planet. The five-year, unmanned Martian Moons eXploration mission, in collaboration with other space agencies, is set to blast off from Tanegashima Space Center later this year.

According to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the spacecraft is expected to stay in Mars's orbit for around three years and will attempt to land not only on the Red Planet but also on Phobos, one of its moons.