Phobos MMX Mission Simulator: Japan’s Mars Moon Descent & Sample Probe

Flight Phase QSO-Low Approach

Altitude to Surface 1,240 m

Relative Speed 0.34 m/s

Delta-V Consumed 142.6 m/s

Sample Yield 12.4 g

Mission Status Sample Capsule Sealed for Earth Return

NAV-CAM & ORBITAL RADAR • SCALE: 1px = 4.2m • MARS TIDAL FRAME Tgt: Stickney Flank (-1.2°, 45.8°W)

PHOBOS MASS: 1.0659×10¹⁶ kg

SURFACE GRAV: 0.0057 m/s²

ESCAPE VEL: 11.39 m/s

RADAR CONTACT: ACTIVE

DESCENT STABLE: Press [THROTTLES] or Arrow Keys to steer

MMX Guidance & RCS QSO-LOCKED

Phobos resides deep inside Mars' Hill Sphere. Rather than an unstable Keplerian orbit, MMX maintains a retro-grade Quasi-Satellite Orbit (QSO). Use thruster burns below to modulate relative descent vectors.

DESCENT CRITERIA:
• Safe Touchdown Speed: < 0.50 m/s
• Phobos Escape Speed: 11.39 m/s
• Total Delta-V Budget: 450 m/s
• Touchdown Velocity: 0.18 m/s

Regolith Mass Spectrometry (RAMS) SAMPLE ANALYZED

Real-time NIR reflectance & laser ablation spectrum from core sample retrieved at Stickney Crater Flank. Resolves the 28-year planetary debate: Captured Carbonaceous Asteroid vs. Giant Impact Martian Ejecta.

Primitive Carbonaceous Chondrite

68%

Hydrated phyllo-silicates & organics

Martian Ejecta Silicates

32%

Pyroxene-olivine from ancient impact

Japan's 28-Year Mars Exploration Arc 1998 — 2026

1998

Nozomi (Planet-B) Launch: Japan’s first Mars orbiter launched by ISAS. A valve anomaly during earth flyby starved propellant reserves; despite valiant course corrections, insertion failed in Dec 2003.

2010

Hayabusa 1 & 2 Asteroid Mastery: JAXA perfects microgravity touch-and-go sampling at Itokawa and Ryugu, building the sample capsule heritage that underpins MMX.

2026

MMX (Martian Moons eXploration): Japan returns to Mars after a 28-year gap. The probe enters Quasi-Satellite Orbit around Phobos, conducts landings, and returns the first pristine Martian system samples to Earth.

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVE: Confirm if Mars' moons originated from a mega-impact (proto-Mars + giant impactor) or are captured outer solar system asteroids trapped by gas drag.

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