A Japanese spacecraft was on its way to one of Mars's moons on Tuesday on a world-first mission to retrieve samples, potentially helping unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth.

The flagship H3 rocket carrying the unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe blasted off into a pitch-black sky from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41 am (1941 GMT Monday), according to a live stream broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Over an hour later, JAXA announced via the live broadcast that the probe had successfully separated from the H3 and was "beginning its journey towards the Martian system".

"I'd dreamt of this day, so I'm incredibly happy," said JAXA scientist Mari Aida. "Right now I feel really relieved."

Following the separation, JAXA said it received signals from the spacecraft as expected, confirming it was operating normally.

Despite the early hour in Japan, thousands of people tuned into the live stream, posting messages of encouragement.

The spacecraft is due to arrive near Mars around August next year, where it will orbit one of its moons, Phobos.

A French-German rover dubbed IDEFIX -- the French name for the comic hero Asterix's dog -- will be the first vehicle to travel across Phobos, conducting surface observations aimed at ensuring a safe landing.

Once MMX arrives on Phobos, it will collect at least 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of material from the surface during its planned three years in the Red Planet's vicinity.

The mission -- which aims to be the first round trip to the Martian region -- is a collaboration with US and European space agencies, as well as numerous universities and tech companies.

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