JAXA(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

Thank you for the support from Tanegashima! ✨ The Moon Class at Chuo Kodomoen and the Minamitane Space Development Promotion Association are counting down 11 days to #MMXLIFTOFF 🚀 #MMX is preparing for the challenge of bringing home a sample from Mars’s moon Phobos. Stay tuned!

NASA has contributed two instruments to the #MMX mission! MEGANE & P-SMP will help us explore the origin of the Martian moons, and to bring the first ever sample home from the Mars system! Don’t miss NASA’s media teleconference on 15 Oct 16:00 EDT (16 Oct 05:00 JST)! #MMXLIFTOFF

Thank you, Ambassador Suzuki, for your support! 🤝 #MMXLIFTOFF is scheduled for 20 October onboard the H3 🚀 With the CNES/DLR rover IDEFIX, MMX will journey to Mars’s moon Phobos and together, we will take on the challenge of the first-ever sample return from the Martian system!

[The power behind #MMX ⓶]
MMX is the largest international lunar and planetary exploration mission ever led by Japan, built through a collaborative framework with overseas space agencies that includes instrument contributions. Let’s look at our partners!
#MMXLIFTOFF: 10.20

MMX is a large project, even compared to other missions! Support from indirect JAXA departments such as Strategic Planning and Management, Procurement, Finance, Ground Facilities, General Affairs, Public Affairs, and others has been extensive and essential to such a big team.

Media are invited to join NASA for a teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 15, to preview the agency’s contributions to @JAXA_en's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which will explore the Red Planet's moons and return a sample of Phobos.
go.nasa.gov/4B2qNBI

Day 4 of IAC2026 in Antalya, Turky. It's been our greatest gift to welcome guests from across the world. You make our days happier. Tomorrow, Friday, is the last but most exciting day--Public Day! If you're around there, be sure to stop by our booth (1F-02, 04). See you there!

🚨Competition alert 🚨

Craft a #WelcomeToMercury message for MPO and Mio and stand a chance to win a trip to Germany and witness the ESA/JAXA #BepiColombo
mission arrive at Mercury!

The message could be a drawing, song, poem or any other art form. Details 👉esa.int/Science_Explor…

The BELA laser altimeter on our Mercury Planetary Orbiter spacecraft was successfully activated for the first time in space yesterday. 👍
During the mission's science phase, from April 2027, it will map the shape of Mercury and its surface. #BepiColombo
mediarelations.unibe.ch/media_releases…

JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate shared their knowledge of precision navigation and guidance technology from HTV-X, as well as essential know-how for extended stays at Tanegashima Space Center. JAXA Astronauts Yoneda and Suwa are also our MMX PR Ambassadors 🧑‍🚀 🧑‍🚀

JAXA’s Space Technology Directorate I offered extensive technical and operational expertise from the development of large satellites. Although near-Earth and deep space environments differ, many challenges are shared, and this valuable experience supported the development of MMX.

Many departments at ISAS (C-SODA, the Deep Space Tracking Technology Group, JLPEDA, ASRG, and the Management & Integration Department) are working tirelessly on mission control operations, data processing, curation and other tasks. We’ll introduce their actives later!

The JAXA Space Exploration Center (JSEC) developed MMX’s IREM radiation monitor, in collaboration with the R&D Directorate. As an instrument designed to develop exploration technology, data from IREM will contribute to methods for managing radiation exposure for future astronauts

JAXA’s Space Transportation Technology Directorate developed the H3 launch vehicle together with Mitsubishi Electric Heavy Industries. MMX will be launched in the H3 rocket’s 24L configuration. This team are also conducting launch site operations at the Tanegashima Space Center.

JAXA’s Space Tracking and Communications Center manages the operations of JAXA’s ground stations in Misasa, Usuda & Uchinoura. The centre is handling complex coordination tasks such as operational conflicts with other satellites and spacecraft in preparation for the MMX launch 🚀

JAXA’s R&D Directorate supported the development of core spacecraft technologies, including GNC, communications, power, data handling, propulsion, thermal control, structural mechanisms, and orbit design. They also played a key role in instruments such as C-SMP, SRC and the rover

[The power behind #MMX!]
The development of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX: @mmx_jaxa_en) mission was undertaken not only by the MMX Project Team at JAXA ISAS, but the ALL-JAXA system! Let’s take a look at the activities of each division.
#MMXLIFTOFF: 10.20 at 04:41:03 JST 🚀

Did you know that #MMX will carry MEGANE, a contribution by NASA and developed at Johns Hopkins APL? Meaning “eye glasses” in Japanese 👓, MEGANE PI David Lawrence takes us through what MEGANE will see on Phobos in this #MMXTeamQQ!
#MMXLIFTOFF 10.20 🚀

Happy birthday, Hera! 🎂🛰️ ESA's Hera captured its first glimpse of the binary asteroid Didymos & Dimorphos. Hera will study the impact from the NASA DART mission on Dimorphos to study planetary defence, with JAXA’s #TIRI thermal infrared camera helping reveal surface properties

Another step toward Mercury! 🛰️ After separating the MTM that powered nearly 8 years of cruise, ESA/JAXA’s #BepiColombo has collected its first data with instruments aboard ESA’s MPO. Together with JAXA’s #Mio (@JAXA_MMO), the mission is preparing to explore Mercury’s mysteries✨