What is JAXA MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) with Idefix Rover?

Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, and nobody knows where they came from: they may be captured asteroids, or debris from a giant collision on Mars. Collecting samples is how scientists hope to find out. MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) is a robotic space probe operated by Japan's space agency JAXA, with a primary mission to bring back the first samples from Phobos. It also carries Idefix, a 25-kilogram rover contributed jointly by the German and French space agencies, which will help identify a suitable sampling site. The samples are planned to reach Earth in 2031.

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