The LIRA provided the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with the MIRS infrared imaging spectrometer (highlighted in red in the image), onboard the MMX (Mars Moons eXplorer) spacecraft. The instrument aims to map Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and to analyze the atmosphere of the Red Planet. After successfully completing thermal vacuum tests in April 2025, the MMX spacecraft also passed its mechanical environment tests in September–October, followed by electromagnetic compatibility tests in November. The launch is scheduled for October 2026.
The MMX mission aims to return samples from Phobos to Earth in 2031, in order to characterize the surfaces of Mars’ moons and the composition of the planet’s atmosphere.
Credit : JAXA
