JAXA publishes MMX status notice after critical operations phase

JAXA published an October 21, 2026, status notice reporting that the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft had completed its initial critical operations phase and was healthy. The update follows the mission’s October 20 launch.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency defines that phase as the period between separation from the rocket and completion of the operations needed to establish spacecraft health. Its notice lists deployment of the solar panels, control of the spacecraft’s orientation in three axes, and unlocking the medium-gain antenna’s restraint mechanism.

MMX is designed to visit Phobos, a moon of Mars, collect surface material and return it to Earth, according to JAXA’s mission overview. Those objectives remain ahead; the October 21 notice concerns the spacecraft’s early operations.

The health assessment is JAXA’s operational account. The notice does not give individual completion times for the listed operations. JAXA identifies initial functional checks of onboard equipment as its next work, alongside preparations for the outbound cruise toward the Martian system.