Japan tests probe to land on Martian moon Phobos, bring a chunk of it back to Earth

The world’s first mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of two moons orbiting Mars, has progressed to testing its bus system and mission instruments. Work on the mission - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) - was detailed in an article in which spacecraft system lead engineer …

[Pascal Monett]

Best of luck

When the celestial clock is determining your schedule, it kind of puts the word "mandatory" in a whole other context.

[Anonymous Coward]

Main screen turn on !!

If they broadcast the launch and mission for this in 16-bit with the zero wing sound track, I'll cheer them on the whole way.

Move zig!

[milliemoo83]

Re: Main screen turn on !!

All your base are belong to us!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Main screen turn on !!

Ha Ha Ha Ha...

[Denarius]

laudable goal

Great project. Some serious science with big challengers. Wishing the project well as it is worth doing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh shit..

People from late last century tried to warn us about going to Phobos.

[Ian Bush]

Re: Oh shit..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather_Goddesses_of_Phobos

?

[milliemoo83]

UAC

Hope they packed a rocket launcher...

[Steven Raith]

Re: UAC

I hope nothing is odd about the rock.

It might end up being a Phobos Anomaly.

Steven R

(yes, I play Doom too much,to this day)

[Sgt_Oddball]

Re: UAC

Well they have pretty much admitted they want to rip and tear until it is done...

[Timbo]

Re: UAC

nah - We've got Duke Nukem - send him in !!

[xyz]

It's a space station

Look what happened to that Russian spacecraft when it got too close.... BLAM.

[milliemoo83]

Re: It's a space station

"Look what happened to that Russian spacecraft when it got too close.... BLAM."

Well it is where the Mysterons live.

[Big_Boomer]

Scary!

If you are scared of Phobos, are you a PhoboPhobe? Phobos was the Roman god of fear and panic. It's gonna be a fun mission to watch.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Scary!

Greek, surely, not Roman. Or am I getting mixed up again?

[Neil Barnes]

Re: Scary!

Greek, I think. And I recall a tale whereby Asaph Hall, the discoverer of the two moons, had returned to his observing after being shouted at by his wife, Angelina Strickney - and having discovered them, named them 'Fear' and 'Terror' in her honour.

One of them - Phobos? - has a crater caused by an impact that had it been any bigger, would have shattered the moon: it's named 'Strickney'.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Scary!

"One of them - Phobos? - has a crater caused by an impact that had it been any bigger, would have shattered the moon:"

Crater? Or beam focussing dish? "That's no moon!"

[Irony Deficient]

Greek, surely, not Roman. Or am I getting mixed up again?

You’re correct — Phobos was Greek. Pavor was the Roman analogue of Phobos.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Greek, surely, not Roman. Or am I getting mixed up again?

Indeed. It is where the Pavoris Mons volcano gets its name.

[heyrick]

It's made of starch, with some simple sugars

Well, it's basically a large low-orbit potato.