Japan and Germany have a long history of collaborating in science and technology. Over the years, the countries have had a Joint Committee on cooperation in science technology. Both countries have advanced economies and know how to use technology.
Their cooperation involves a potato-shaped chunk of rock.
The JAXA plans to launch the Mars Moons eXploration mission in 2024. JAXA has more ambitious ideas for Phobos. They want to collect samples for return to earth. Don't bet againstJAXA because they have a track record of getting samples from other places.
A rover will be sent on the mission. The MMX Rover will be dropped on the surface of Phobos from a height of about 50 meters.
The MMX rover is the first exploration vehicle with wheels that has traveled on a small body with less than one thousandth of the Earth's gravity.
The landing procedure for the rover is different. The vehicle is going to fall on the moon. It will need to correct itself and get to work when it gets to the surface.
The rover will come to rest in an unpredictable position after it free falls onto Phobos. The MMX rover needs to upright itself and unfold its solar panels from this point on. It will travel at only a few millimetres per second in order to retain contact with the ground with its special wheels.
It will use its instruments to measure the moon's surface in situ. Those two are why?
There are questions surrounding Phobos and its sibling. They don't know if they're captured asteroids from the main belt or if they're rubble pile asteroids from Mars. They are being torn apart by the force of Mars. It's possible that they were destroyed once already and reformed again, or that they were the result of an impact that sent Martian material into space.
The composition of Phobos will be revealed by the analyzer. Understanding Phobos' origins is dependent upon the composition of the minerals. Its composition tells scientists where it came from. Some elements are more common in the inner Solar System than others are outside.
The power of the moon will be measured by the radiometer. It will be able to measure Phobos' temperature by tuning its wavelength. Scientists can compare the moon to other Solar System bodies because of the moon's porous nature. Data can be used to understand the moon's beginnings.
Two of the cameras are for navigation and the other two are for monitoring the wheels.
The sample return will be the culmination of the mission. The Hayabusa 2 mission yielded an impressive sample achievement. The samples that were returned are carbon-rich. They will be able to determine the source of water.
JAXA wants to collect a much larger sample with MMX than the one they collected with the previous project. The mission only has 90 minutes to collect samples before the sun comes up and the darkness returns. The sample will return to Earth in 2029.
The rover won't be affected by those restrictions. First, it will contribute to the sampling operation by taking its measurement and then dying on Phobos. The Exploration Module will be landed on the surface by the MMX Rover. The data and images from the rover will be used to reference the instruments.
There are international partners on this mission. The MMX mission is Japan's project and the DLR will provide the rover. The Spanish and French space agencies are involved in the project.
When the mission succeeds in collecting samples, there will be teams of scientists and engineers in many countries.
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