EUROPEAN RESEARCH · INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Idefix: Europe's rover for the Martian moon Phobos
A German-French rover for exploring the Martian moon Phobos.
Discover mission in the app →THE OCCUPIED MISSION STAND
Where does the mission stand?
Last editorially verified: Launch of MMX with Idefix (19 Oct 2026).
What's next?
Summer 2027 · planned: Arrival in the Mars system
Editorial source record ↗ · As of 26 Oct 2026. Dates may change.
How does the ground behave on a tiny Mars moon?
On Phobos, gravity is very weak. Idefix is to show how wheels, ground and rock behave under these conditions. This also helps with the preparation of sample collection by MMX.
What does the rover measure?
It examines material and surface properties directly on site. A small driven area does not represent the entire moon.
Why is Phobos interesting?
The investigation of the Mars moon and the return of samples are intended to help better understand its origin. Idefix is part of this international mission.
What would the next milestone mean?
Arrival in the Mars system would be another leg of the journey. It would not yet be a rover landing.
What it is for Idefix?
Idefix is to examine ground and rock on Phobos. Its measurements will help the Japanese MMX probe find a suitable spot for sample collection.
The rover, weighing about 25 kilograms, was developed in Germany and France. It is to stand up on Phobos itself and explore the surface for around 100 days.
Who is behind it and where is the mission?
- Mission
- Rover: DLR and CNES · MMX: JAXA
- Editorial portrait status
- 2026-10-26
- Rocket
- H3 Japanese carrier rocket
- Launch Site
- Tanegashima, Japan
- Europe's contribution
- European Robotics · international mission
Landing planned around the turn of the year 2028/2029. An exact date has not been confirmed yet. Idefix is travelling on board MMX and does not belong to the satellites of the Earth orbit view.
The journey in stages
Editorially verified stages, checked on 2026-10-26. Aktuelle Quelltermine stehen im automatisch abgeglichenen Missionsstand.
19 Oct 2026 · confirmed by the source
Launch of MMX with Idefix
Stage at the original source ↗Summer 2027 · planned
Arrival in the Mars system
Stage at the original source ↗New Year 2028/2029 · planned
Idefix lands on Phobos
Stage at the original source ↗2031 · planned
MMX brings Phobos samples to Earth
Stage at the original source ↗
Plans may change. Rough time frames are not confirmed days.
Current source reports
- MMX Lifts Off on Mission to Explore Moons of Mars ↗
Space Scout · Original language
- MMX lifts off to Mars’s moon Phobos ↗
ESA · Original language
- JAXA’s MMX Enroute to Mars To Return Samples of Phobos ↗
SpacePolicyOnline.com · Original language
- Japanese MMX mission set for launch to study Martian moons ↗
NASASpaceflight · Original language
Continue to follow the mission
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The calendar automatically adds source dates with an exact day and includes documented editorial milestones. Rough plans are not entered as fixed calendar days.
Sources and status
Editorial status: 2026-10-26. Dieses Porträt zeigt keine Live-Position.
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Automatically translated from German; some interface labels are reviewed. View original →. Some new text is still available in German.