Japan begins mission to retrieve samples from Mars from the moon
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. Japan has launched a historic space mission with the goal of collecting samples from Mars’ moon Phobos and bringing them to Earth. Scientists hope that this will reveal new facts about the origin of the solar system and the beginning of life on Earth.
According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the H-3 rocket carrying the unmanned Martian Moon Exploration (MMX) spacecraft was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on Tuesday morning. More than an hour after launch, the spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket.TAG_OPEN_div_18
The spacecraft will approach Mars in August 2027. It will then orbit Phobos and collect at least 10 grams of surface material. The French-German rover ‘Edfix’ will also observe the surface of Phobos and attempt a safe landing.TAG_OPEN_div_16
According to JAXA, the mission will gather information about the origin of Mars and its two moons, Phobos and Deimos. One theory assumes that the moon was formed by a collision between Mars and another celestial body, while the other believes that they are asteroids pulled by the gravity of Mars. Scientists believe that finding which of these theories is correct will help to understand how life-friendly environments developed on rocky planets.TAG_OPEN_div_14
Nikki Fox, administrator of NASA’s Science Campaign Directorate, has said that the sample study will help in preparing to send humans to Mars in the future. The United States, European Space Agency, universities and technology companies have also collaborated on the mission.
TAG_OPEN_div_10 Meanwhile, the United States and China are competing in a mission to bring rock samples from Mars to Earth. NASA’s ‘Perseverance’ rover has been collecting samples on Mars since 2021. However, the US administration canceled the mission to return those samples to Earth. China aims to launch Tianwen-3 in 2028 and bring Mars samples to Earth by 2031.
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