マイあさ! 午前6時のNHKニュース 2026年10月20日
H-3 rocket No. 10 lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41 a.m. on October 20, 2026, and successfully placed the Mars moon probe MMX into its Mars-bound transfer orbit roughly an hour and eleven minutes later. Domestically, a stationary front triggered heavy rain warnings in Hokuriku while Typhoon No. 30 bore down on Okinawa with a central pressure of 935 hPa. The broadcast also covered books delivered to Aung San Suu Kyi from King Charles, and sports news spanning the Asian Para Games, the Premier League, MLB, and the Gymnastics World Championships.
Listen to this episode Go to the show page
What this episode answers
When and how was MMX launched, and what are the plans going forward?
H-3 rocket No. 10 lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41:03 a.m. and inserted MMX into its Mars-bound orbit about one hour and eleven minutes later. The probe is scheduled to reach the vicinity of Mars around August next year, spend roughly three years exploring Phobos, and return soil samples to Earth in fiscal year 2031.
What was the domestic weather like on October 20, and what is the situation with Typhoon No. 30?
A stationary front made atmospheric conditions highly unstable across eastern and western Japan, with a heavy rain warning issued for Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture. Typhoon No. 30, packing a central pressure of 935 hPa and maximum sustained winds of 55 m/s, was moving west-northwest over the ocean east of the Philippines and is forecast to approach Okinawa's Sakishima Islands on October 23–24.
What developments occurred concerning Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi?
Myanmar's military-aligned government announced on social media that two books and a letter from Britain's King Charles had been delivered to Aung San Suu Kyi, though her location was not disclosed and she still has no access to family or lawyers.
What were the news stories from the swimming at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games and Manchester City's financial troubles?
Takayuki Suzuki (鈴木孝之), 39, won gold in the men's 50 m freestyle (physical impairment class) at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games despite having fallen ill earlier in the month and competing with virtually no preparation. Manchester City were found by an independent commission to have committed more than 100 rule violations across 14 seasons since 2009, with falsified amounts totaling over £830 million (approximately ¥170 billion); the club is appealing.
What problem arose regarding the Russian team at the Gymnastics World Championships?
The host country, the Netherlands, refused visas to three of Russia's top female gymnasts, including 2023 world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova (アンジェリーナ・メルニコワ). The International Gymnastics Federation said it could not guarantee fairness and negotiated with the Dutch government without success, leaving Russia to compete in the women's team event without its three key athletes.
Mars Moon Probe MMX Successfully Launched
At 4:41:03 a.m. on October 20, 2026, H-3 rocket No. 10 thundered off the launch pad at JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. Its payload was MMX (Martian Moons eXploration), a Mars moon probe developed by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) at a cost of ¥55.3 billion.
The rocket shed its four solid rocket boosters and first stage in sequence as it climbed, and approximately one hour and eleven minutes after liftoff — just before 6:00 a.m. — MMX was successfully inserted into its Mars-bound transfer orbit. MMX aims to be the world's first spacecraft to land on Phobos, one of Mars's two moons, collect surface soil, and bring it back to Earth.
The probe is expected to reach the vicinity of Mars around August next year. It will then spend approximately three years conducting surveys of Phobos before returning soil samples to Earth in fiscal year 2031. Through this mission, JAXA aims to build up exploration technology in the Martian system and, by analyzing the returned samples alongside scientific observations, shed light on the origin of the Martian moons.
Unstable Weather Across Japan; Typhoon No. 30 Approaches Okinawa
A stationary front stalling near Honshu has made atmospheric conditions highly unstable, mainly across eastern and western Japan. During the early morning hours, a band of developed rain clouds stretched from Hokuriku to the waters off the San'in coast, bringing heavy rain over the Noto Peninsula. A heavy rain warning (Level 3) was issued for Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture, urging residents to remain alert to intense rainfall through late morning.
Parts of Hokuriku, Niigata Prefecture, and the Tokai region are forecast to see intense rainfall of 30 mm or more per hour accompanied by thunder. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of flooding in low-lying areas, rising river levels, and the risk of lightning and tornadoes. Temperatures remain high — above 25°C west of the Kanto region, making conditions muggy — while areas north of the front in northern Japan and along the Sea of Japan side are cooler at around 20°C.
Meanwhile, a separate threat looms over Okinawa. As of 3:00 a.m. on October 20, Typhoon No. 30 — a large, violent storm — was moving west-northwest at 20 km/h over the ocean east of the Philippines. With a central pressure of 935 hPa, maximum sustained winds of 55 m/s, and gusts reaching 75 m/s, storm-force winds extended to within 150 km of the center. The typhoon is expected to maintain its very intense strength as it approaches the Sakishima Islands of Okinawa Prefecture on October 23–24. Rough seas are forecast around Okinawa from October 21, and the JMA is calling for early preparations as violent winds are possible in the Sakishima Islands.
Books from King Charles Delivered to Suu Kyi, Myanmar Junta Announces
Myanmar's military-aligned government announced on social media that two books and a letter from Britain's King Charles had been delivered to Aung San Suu Kyi (アウンサン・スーチー), the democracy leader who has remained in detention since the military coup of February 2021. Photographs were also released, though the location was not disclosed; the images appear to show Suu Kyi receiving the books and letter from a government official.
Suu Kyi was convicted of corruption and other charges in informal trials, and in April 2026 the government announced she had been transferred to house arrest at a designated residence — the specific location of which also remains undisclosed. In August this year she met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), but she continues to have no access to family or lawyers. Analysts believe the government's gesture is intended to signal improved treatment and good health as a way to ease tensions with the international community, which has been calling for her early release.
Sports: Para Swimming Gold, City Finances, MLB, Gymnastics
At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, Takayuki Suzuki (鈴木孝之), 39, claimed gold in the men's 50 m freestyle (physical impairment class). Suzuki, who holds 14 Paralympic medals including three gold, fell ill earlier this month and entered the pool with virtually no preparation, yet pulled away from the field with a powerful swim. "I got the stimulus my body needed, so I hope I can swim even better in my next race," he said.
In England's Premier League, an independent commission appointed by the league found that Manchester City — winners of all seven of their opening matches this season — committed more than 100 rule violations across 14 seasons since 2009. The club allegedly agreed to inflated sponsorship fees in contracts while having the owner's company pay the difference, resulting in falsified amounts totaling more than £830 million (approximately ¥170 billion at current exchange rates). The Premier League called the ruling "the most significant in the league's history"; City maintains its innocence and is appealing.
In MLB's American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 5, the Rays defeated the Guardians to take a 3–2 series lead. Starting pitcher Rasmussen, who won 16 games this season, kept the Guardians' lineup in check, leaving the Rays one win away from the World Series. Game 6 is scheduled for the Rays' home stadium on the same day in Japan Standard Time.
At the Gymnastics World Championships in the Netherlands — which also serve as a qualifier for the Los Angeles Olympics — the host country denied visas to three of Russia's top female gymnasts, including 2023 world women's all-around champion Angelina Melnikova. Russia had been permitted to compete without national flag or anthem, but will now contest the women's team event without its three key athletes. The International Gymnastics Federation stated it "cannot guarantee fairness" and negotiated with the Dutch government, but no agreement was reached.
Takeaways
- H-3 rocket No. 10 successfully launched MMX from Tanegashima, sending the world's first Phobos sample-return probe on a trajectory toward Mars, with soil samples due back on Earth in fiscal year 2031.
- Typhoon No. 30, packing a 935 hPa central pressure, is forecast to approach Okinawa's Sakishima Islands on October 23–24, while a stationary front continues to bring heavy rain and flood warnings to Hokuriku.
- Manchester City were found to have committed more than 100 rule violations with falsified amounts exceeding £830 million — described as the Premier League's most significant ruling — as the club appeals the decision.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.