MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) is a mission led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) to explore Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Scheduled for launch in 2026 and return in 2031, MMX aims to reveal the origins of the moons by collecting samples from Phobos and bringing them back to Earth.

MMX is equipped with several scientific instruments, one of which is the MMX Infrared Spectrometer (MIRS), which will analyze infrared radiation emitted from the surface of the satellite to determine their composition, such as minerals and water ice as well as to observe the Martian atmosphere.

Tohoku University is involved in the development of MIRS and is developing analytical methods to investigate Martian meteorological phenomena from infrared spectroscopic data from MIRS.　Photo by JAXA
ISAS MMX project