Start date for Mars mission “MMX” and rover “Idefix” announced

Tokyo. In a few weeks, a space probe and rover will be launched to Mars. According to plans by the Japanese space agency Jaxa, “MMX” (Martian Moons eXploration) is expected to launch on October 19, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) announced. The possible launch window to Mars therefore extends until November 7th. As part of the mission, the German-French rover “Idefix” is scheduled to land on the Martian moon Phobos in 2029. In 2031, samples from Phobos and thus from the Mars system will be brought to Earth for the first time using a return module.

“Idefix” will explore the surface of Mars’ moon for 100 days, the DLR said. “Our rover “Idefix” and our Japanese partners’ “MMX” spacecraft are starting their journey into the Mars system as a single unit,” explained DLR project manager Markus Grebenstein and project manager Julien Baroukh from the French space agency CNES in a joint statement. It was only at Phobos that their paths separated. “Idefix will make history there - as the first rover to ever leave traces on a Martian moon.”

According to the DLR, what is particularly special about “Idefix” is its compact design. The rover is only the size of a drinks crate and weighs around 25 kilograms, but still essentially has all the elements of a full-fledged science rover. “Due to its light weight and low gravity, Idefix will be able to land directly on Phobos, without the aid of a landing vehicle.”

The “MMX” probe is scheduled to reach Mars in 2027 after a flight of around one year and enter its orbit. It is expected that around the turn of the year 2028/2029 the mother probe will send the rover into free fall towards Phobos from a height of around 40 meters above the surface, it was said. Once landed, it stands up on its own and is then ready for use.

The Martian moons Phobos and Deimos are, along with Earth's moon, the only two moons in the inner solar system. They are much smaller than Earth's moon and are not spherical, but irregularly shaped. The largest diameter of Phobos is almost 27 kilometers, that of Deimos is 15 kilometers. According to the DLR, extreme temperatures of between minus 150 and 30 degrees prevail on Phobos.