Japan to Bring Soil Samples from Mars in 2029

The United States and China aim to bring samples from Mars by 2030.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Japan Space Exploration Agency or JAXA plans to launch a rover in 2024 to land on Phobos, Mars’ moon. They plan to collect 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of soil and bring it back to Earth by 2029. In this case, Japan hopes to find clues to the planet’s origins and possible traces of life.

“The fast return journey is expected to put Japan ahead of the United States and China in bringing back samples from the region” Mars although it started later,” said Project Manager Yasuhiro Kawakatsu quoted from Phys on Friday (20/8).

He explained that the Perseverance rover belonging to the American Space Agency (NASA) had landed in the crater of Mars. The probe will collect 31 samples to be returned to Earth with help from the European Space Agency in early 2031. China in May became the second country to land and operate a spacecraft on Mars and plans to bring samples back sometime in 2030.

“JAXA scientists believe about 0.1 percent of the land surface in Phobos comes from Mars and 10 grams can contain about 30 grains depending on the consistency of the soil,” he said.

Meanwhile, Professor at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Tomohiro Usui said the soil on Phobos may be a mixture of material from the moon itself and material from Mars scattered by sandstorms.

“Collecting samples from multiple locations on Phobos could provide a greater chance of obtaining possible traces of life from Mars than obtaining soil from a single location on Mars,” he said.

He added that any form of life that might have originated on Mars would die from the harsh solar and cosmic radiation on Phobos. The NASA and European Space Agency missions are focusing on potential life forms and the evolution of the area of ​​the Jezero crater, which is believed to be an ancient lake.

By studying Phobos soil sample including material from Mars, scientists hope to learn about the evolution of the Martian biosphere. Japanese research on Phobos and NASA samples from specific locations in Martian craters could complement each other and could lead to answers to questions such as how Martian life arose (if any) and evolved in time and place.

“Last December, the JAXA probe, Hayabusa2, brought back more than 5 grams (0.19 ounces) of soil from the asteroid Ryugu, more than 300 million kilometers (190 million miles) from Earth, in the world’s first successful asteroid sample return.” he said.

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