Japan launched the $578 million MMX mission Monday to retrieve samples from Phobos, the largest moon of Mars, for return to Earth. The robotic Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft lifted off at 3:41 pm EDT Monday from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. It begins a five-year expedition. The launch is part of an international project aimed at providing new insights into the formation of the Solar System. The MMX spacecraft reached orbit atop a 207-foot-tall H3 rocket, which serves as Japan's flagship launch vehicle. For this mission, the rocket utilized a new configuration featuring four strap-on solid rocket boosters, full-throttle main engines, and an extended payload shroud. These modifications were designed to meet the requirements of what is described as Japan's heaviest and most ambitious interplanetary mission to date.