Phobos is the Mars moon under renewed scrutiny as new missions target the martian system; recent launches signal a broader push to study the outer solar system’s smallest, most enigmatic worlds.
SpaceX has achieved an orbital Starship flight, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites and signaling a new era of high-frequency, reusable launches. The mission faced an early engine issue but proceeded to orbit with a Pacific splashdown and a rapid return-to-flight plan taking shape for future missions.
NASA and international partners have updated plans for a Venus exploration push. DAVINCI is set for December 2030 and VERITAS for November 2032, with ESA’s Envision joining the effort in 2032. Rocket Lab may launch an organic probe to Venus clouds as soon as late 2027, signaling a growing Venus program amid funding pressures on Mars- and Earth-focused missions.
Japan is launching MMX, the first mission to bring back samples from Phobos, Mars’ inner moon, to study its origin and evaluate its potential as a future site for human exploration. The five-year mission includes a Danish-French rover and NASA instruments; Phobos samples will form the core data, with Deimos observations planned.