Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA's H3-24L rocket launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission on Monday (Oct. 19), at 1941 UTC, from Pad-2 at the Yoshinobu Launch Complex within the Tanegashima Space Center. The mission aims to become the first to return samples from Phobos, Mars’s larger moon, with a targeted Earth return in 2031.

This was the 10th liftoff of Japan's expendable, two-stage H3 rocket (flight H3 F10), which was jointly developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. After clearing its launch pad today, the 63-meter rocket flew a nominal trajectory through its ascent corridor over the Pacific Ocean, jettisoning its four solid boosters in pairs just before the flight clock reached two minutes. The launch vehicle shed its payload fairings about one minute and 20 seconds later, exposing MMX to the vacuum of space for the first time.

H3's first stage, powered by two LE-9 rocket engines, channels a mixture of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to produce a combined thrust of 331,000 pounds (1,471 kN), according to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. As the mission clock approached T+5 minutes, H3 executed its main engine cutoff procedure and separated from the second stage, which ignited its engines for a 5.5-minute burn about 10 seconds later.

All continued to go to plan after that. The H3's upper stage ignited its engine for a second time for a trans-Mars injection burn about one hour and four minutes after liftoff, a maneuver that lasted roughly six minutes and 25 seconds and took MMX to a maximum velocity of about 38,858 kilometers per hour(kph).

MMX was released from the rocket's upper stage right on schedule, about one minute after the completion of that burn and roughly 71 minutes after liftoff. The success elicited loud cheers in mission control, which viewers saw and heard on JAXA's launch webcast.

The spacecraft is now under its own power, and on course for Mars. The interplanetary transit will last about 10 months, with the spacecraft scheduled to arrive at the Red Planet in August 2027. When it does, MMX's propulsion module will execute an orbital insertion burn to place itself in a quasi-satellite orbit (QSO) around Phobos, which places MMX within the space around the moon as both circle Mars.

The primary goal of MMX is to collect at least 10 grams of Phobos regolith to determine if the Martian moons are captured asteroids or formed from debris ejected by an ancient impact on Mars. The mission will also conduct flybys of the smaller moon, Deimos, and study Mars itself to understand the early solar system's evolution. The spacecraft carries 13 scientific instruments, including MEGANE (developed with NASA) to measure elemental composition via gamma rays and neutrons, and MIRS for infrared mineral analysis.

Led by JAXA with contributions from NASA, ESA, CNES (France), and DLR (Germany), the ~4,480 kilogram spacecraft consists of propulsion, exploration, and return modules. Key components include the Idefix rover (developed by France and Germany) for surface reconnaissance and a lander equipped with both a coring sampler and a pneumatic surface sampler.

NASA has also invested about $87 million through the end of the mission, which includes funding for United States scientists and astromaterials experts on the MMX team. At least 15% of the planned 10-gram (0.35 ounces) returned Phobos sample will be reserved for NASA's study. Those materials will be transferred and maintained at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston for analysis and long-term preservation.

MMX is not the first Phobos sample-return project to take flight. That distinction goes to Russia's Phobos-Grunt ("Phobos-Soil") mission, which launched in November 2011 but failed to get out of Earth orbit due to a rocket glitch. The 14.5-ton spacecraft eventually crashed back to Earth over the Pacific Ocean in January 2012.

The historic Limoges Town Hall, built in 1883 and designated a landmark in 1975, was "largely lost" after masked protesters forced entry and set it ablaze on Saturday. The fire caused the roof and spire to collapse, destroying two-thirds of the exterior; the building had previously survived both World Wars and served briefly as the seat of the Belgian government-in-exile in 1940.

France’s nationwide unrest stems from weeks of student protests over deteriorating school conditions, which expanded into mass demonstrations against rising living costs and fuel prices. The country experienced some of the worst street violence it has seen in decades, drawing together a volatile mix of secondary school and university students, former "Yellow Vests," climate activists, farmers, and opportunistic groups.

On Saturday, an estimated 550,000 to 800,000 people took to the streets, with violence erupting in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Lille.

About 1,200 to 2,000 people were arrested, over 150 police officers were injured, and widespread looting targeted shops and public buildings. In Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old protester suffered severe injuries (losing a hand) after a police-deployed grenade detonated.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed the violence on "ultra-left" groups and criminals, stating the government would not be intimidated, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that rioters had the "sole objective to burn, break and loot." President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the violence, vandalism, and attacks on public buildings, vowing that perpetrators would be prosecuted.

Unrest also spread to other European nations, driven by similar economic grievances. While France saw the most catastrophic structural damage, smaller or parallel protests and riots broke out in several other European countries over economic pressures and localized grievances.

In Italy, Portugal, and Belgium, Student and public groups marched against household budget constraints, housing costs, and education affordability, though reports indicate these demonstrations were less violent than those in France and Albania.

In Italy, rallies over the cost of living in cities like Milan and Bologna turned violent. Demonstrators clashed with police, forcing the temporary closure of transit hubs like the Duomo metro station in Milan and causing dozens of injuries and detentions among law enforcement and protesters.

In Liège, Belgium, demonstrations over economic strains escalated into property damage and clashes, resulting in dozens of arrests—including minors.

In Portugal, thousands marched in Lisbon over low wages, skyrocketing rents, and a severe housing shortage, setting up protest tents in Rossio square.

Student-led protests in Tirana, Albania, took on an explicitly anti-government tone, entering their fifth consecutive day of fierce clashes. Beyond standard demands for education reform and jobs, protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over corruption allegations. 35 people were wounded and 167 arrested.

The protests in Tirana, started with the controversy over a luxury coastal development project linked to an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner (son-in-law of US President Donald Trump). Police deployed water cannons and tear gas against crowds.

Across Western and Southern Europe, persistent inflation, high energy/fuel prices, and stagnant real wages have created deep financial anxiety among working-class families and the younger demographic.

Critics blame left-wing western leaders and their lax immigration and misguided energy policies. The convergence of students, union workers, and disparate political movements highlights a broader breakdown in trust regarding public institutions and the government.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the classified USSF-481 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, at 0001 UTC on Friday (Oct. 16), carrying a classified payload to a polar low-Earth orbit, for the United States Space Force. The rocket followed a southerly trajectory, reaching a low-Earth orbit inclined approximately 80 degrees to the Equator, a path necessary for polar coverage without overflying populated land.

Vandenberg SLC-4E is the only U.S. launch pad permitting southward polar departure azimuths, making it critical for national security satellites requiring global coverage.

About 8.5 minutes after launch, the first stage booster, B1081 landed on the autonomous droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean as scheduled. This recovery marked the 228th booster landing on a droneship and the 671st total Falcon booster landing. This marks the 28th flight for B1081 which has flown previous missions including Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, EarthCARE, NROL-186, Transporter-13, TRACERS, NROL-48, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM3, and 16 Starlink deployments.

The USSF-481 mission cargo remains classified, but public notices identify the mission as TH-2 (Task Order 2) under the Space-Based Sensing and Targeting (SBST) contract.

USSF-481 is part of a roughly $1.6 billion Pentagon contract for 18 Falcon 9 launches through the end of 2027, supporting the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) and missile-defense initiatives.

Friday's mission wmarks the 114th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, highlighting SpaceX's high-frequency launch rate. The launch was preceded by a formal ceremony at Vandenberg, featuring the five o'clock bugle call "Retreat" and the U.S. National Anthem.