The Japanese government is considering sending a spacecraft to Mars's Phobos satellite in 2024 to obtain soil samples by 2029, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The agency said that Japan's strategic council has compiled a mid-term report on space policy on Tuesday. According to it, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) intends to launch a probe and reach one of the two satellites of Mars in fiscal 2024.

It is expected that the craft with the soil collected from Phobos will be brought back for further study five years later.

In addition, the government aims to develop a system which makes use of small satellites so that the government can instantly receive information about impending climate disasters.

Japan is a pioneer in soil sample return missions. Last December, JAXA brought back black sandy dust in a capsule aboard the Hayabusa2 mission. The spacecraft was launched to space in 2014 and scooped up materials from the Ryugu asteroid twice before heading back to Earth.

Source: RIA Novosti

Related Links
JAXA
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Tweet

Insight Mars Lander may die this year due to dust
Moscow (Sputnik) Jun 29, 2021
The robotic vehicle has been roaming the Martian surface since 2018. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, InSight's main aim is to measure the planet's seismic activity as well as to provide accurate 3D models of its interior. NASA has revealed that its Martian lander InSight may die this year due to Martian dust. According to the space agency, dust had affected 80 percent of the explorer's solar panels, leaving it with less than 700 watt-hours of power per sol (Martian day, which is a b ... read more