Japanese scientists launched a spacecraft Tuesday that aims to be the first to retrieve samples from one of Mars's moons, potentially helping unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.
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The flagship H3 rocket carrying the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41 am (1941 GMT Monday), according to a live stream broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Following the separation, JAXA said it received signals from the spacecraft as expected, confirming it was operating normally.
