The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has reported that as of Oct. 21 the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft, launched on October 20, has completed its initial critical operations and is in good condition. The agency will now run functional checks on its onboard equipment while preparing for the outbound cruise phase toward the Martian system. It is scheduled to arrive in orbit around Phobos—one of Mars’ moons—during August 2027, but it could take up to three years after that for its lander to touch ground on the tiny moon to collect rock and sand samples.

NASA is jumping into this mission in a big way—and it’s thrilling. “We’re sending the MEGANE spectrograph (Mars-moon Exploration with Gamma rays and Neutrons) to read the moons’ chemical fingerprints, testing our ingenious P Sampler to grab material right off the surface, and using the Deep Space Network to guide and talk to the spacecraft across millions of miles. On top of that, NASA is supporting U.S. scientists on the MMX team, making this a truly international push to unlock the secrets of Mars’ mysterious moons.