Soil samples in hopes of finding clues to the planet’s origins and traces of life that may have occurred on Mars. READ ALSO – Archaeologists Find Four-Legged Whale Capable of Hunting on Land
The Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch a rover in 2021 to land on Mars’ moon Phobos.
JAXA Project Manager Yasuhiro Kawakatsu, quoted by APNews, Wednesday (25/8/2021), said the rover would collect 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces of soil and bring it back to Earth in 2029.
If planned, the mission trip would put Japan ahead of the United States and China in bringing back lunar soil samples back to Earth, although Japan started later than the two countries.
JAXA scientists believe about 0.1% of the soil surface on Phobos comes from Mars, and 10 grams can contain about 30 grains, depending on the consistency of the soil.
NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently operating in the craters of Mars to collect 31 samples that will be returned to Earth with help from the European Space Agency in early 2031.
China lands plane spaceon Mars in May and plans to bring back samples around 2030.
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