国有媒体于周日报道称，日本定于周二发射一项太空任务，将火星卫星的样本带回地球。
Japan is set to launch a space mission on Tuesday to bring samples from a Martian moon to Earth, state media reported on Sunday.
国有广播公司日本广播协会（NHK）报道称，“火星卫星探测”任务（简称MMX）将于周二从西南部鹿儿岛县发射。
The Martian Moons eXploration mission, or MMX, will be launched from the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Tuesday, state-run NHK reported.
该任务将搭乘H3火箭从种子岛宇宙中心升空，旨在成为世界上第一个在火星卫星“火卫一”上着陆、收集其表面样本并将其运送回地球的任务。
The mission, which will lift off on an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center, is designed to become the first in the world to land on the Martian moon Phobos, collect samples from its surface, and deliver them to Earth.
日本宇宙航空研究开发机构主导了这一三舱任务的开发项目。该任务的总开发成本为553亿日元（近3.5亿美元）。该探测舱搭载了采样设备、各种观测仪器以及两台超高清摄像机。
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency led the project to develop the three-module mission. The total development cost for the mission is 55.3 billion yen (nearly $350 million). The exploration module carries sampling equipment, various observation instruments, and two super high-definition cameras.
该任务预计在发射大约一年后抵达火星附近。随后它将花费三年时间进行观测。返回舱可能会在截至2032年3月的财年内将样本运送回地球。
The mission is expected to reach the vicinity of Mars about one year after launch. It will then spend three years conducting observations. The return module will likely deliver the samples to Earth during the fiscal year ending in March 2032.