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Japan launches its MMX spacecraft to explore the moons of Mars

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency confirmed the probe separated from its rocket about 71 minutes after liftoff.

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Japan has launched a spacecraft to explore the moons of Mars. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sent up its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe on Tuesday. It rode on an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. Liftoff was at 04:41:03 Japan time, or 6.41am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT), JAXA said. About 71 minutes after liftoff, the probe split away from the rocket as planned. "The separation of the MMX spacecraft was confirmed," JAXA said. That step means the spacecraft is now flying on its own. Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. The European Space Agency (ESA) says MMX is headed for Phobos. Scientists want to learn how these moons formed. That could tell us more about how Mars and other planets came to be. The launch had been waiting to happen when yesterday's news went out. Now JAXA has confirmed it worked. JAXA has not given dates in our sources for when MMX will reach Mars. The trip will take years.