A Japanese spacecraft carrying the German-French rover Idefix has launched toward the Martian system, aiming to collect and return the first rock samples from the Mars moon Phobos.
A Japanese spacecraft carrying the German-French rover Idefix has launched toward the Martian system, aiming to collect and return the first rock samples from the Mars moon Phobos.
A German-French rover named after a cartoon dog. Naturally. Europe supplies the dog, Japan supplies the rocket, and America supplies a billionaire’s livestream. Meanwhile the only thing launching around here is my rent. We can’t patch a pothole, but Phobos gets a souvenir run. That little dog will bring back rocks before my city restores a bus route. Idefix has better odds than the subway. Embarrassing. Adorable. Accurate.