Japan Prepares Historic Mission to Collect Samples from Mars Moon Phobos

Kathmandu. Japan has made preparations to conduct a historic mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of the moons of Mars, and return them to Earth. Scientists expect this to provide important information about the origin of Mars and its moons, the formation of the solar system, and the beginning of life on Earth.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the H-II rocket carrying the MMX spacecraft is scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41 AM on Tuesday. The spacecraft will reach near Mars after one year and orbit Phobos for three years, collecting at least 10 grams of samples from there. A rover named 'Idifix', named after the dog of the French comic character Asterix, will observe the surface to identify a suitable landing spot.