Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said it has been tapped by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency as the contractor of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) space probe.

The company said it has already started development activities for the project, and will be responsible for the MMX's system design, manufacturing and operation. It will adapt technologies first developed for the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) and the "Kounotori" H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV).

Artist's concept of the MMX space probe that will be designed by Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Source: JAXAThe MMX's mission is to determine the origins of Mars and its two moons, Phobos and Deimos, as well as learn how water and organic substances became part of the primordial solar system.

Mitsubishi said that the MMX space probe will adopt existing space technologies, such as trajectory analysis and orbital deployment, which Mitsubishi Electric originally developed for the SLIM's high-precision landing system, and the HTV's guidance, navigation and control systems.

To gather samples from one of the Martian moons, the descent and landing will use a built-in camera and landing technology developed for the SLIM. Also, multiple landing attempts in low gravity will be possible using a newly developed shock-absorbing mechanism and landing gear.

Mitsubishi said it will use a three-module design, consisting of a propulsion module for traveling to Mars' vicinity, exploration module equipped with research payload and return module for journey back to Earth. The design will enable the MMX to discard the propulsion module, and later the exploration module, once their work is finished.