🧊 Does Phobos have an icy heart? MMX’s Mass Spectrum Analyzer (MSA) will study charged particles around the moons, searching for clues to hidden ice. If Phobos contains ice deep inside, it could hint that this little moon began life as a captured asteroid!

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MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) is a JAXA-led sample return mission to Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons. The spacecraft aims to explore Phobos from orbit, land on the moon, scoop up a sample, and bring it back to Earth. 🕸️ mmx.jaxa.jp/en

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astrobiology.com/2026/10/17/a... #astrobiology #exoplanet #exomoon

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astrobiology.com/2026/10/17/a... #astrobiology #Mars #hydrology

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Gravity on Phobos is less than 1/1,000 of Earth's. MMX Project Manager Kawakatsu compares landing on Mars's moon to landing a balloon: the weak gravity softens the touchdown, but a small sideways nudge can rival the downward pull & topple the spacecraft! 🎈

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