CALIFORNIA, iNews.id – Japanese space agency, JAXA plans to bring soil samples back to Earth from the region Mars. Researchers hope to find clues to the planet’s origins and traces of life on Mars.
JAXA plans to launch a rover in 2021 to land on Mars’ moon Phobos. JAXA Project Manager Yasuhiro Kawakatsu, quoted by APNews, 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 Martian soil samples back to Earth, although Japan started later than the two countries.
JAXA scientists believe about 0.1 percent of the soil surface on Phobos comes from Mars, and 10 grams can contain about 30 grains, depending on the consistency of the soil.
Editor: Dini Listiyani
