Space missions are supposed to return samples to Earth from Mars and Phobos

Updated August 12, 2021 at 8:00 PM.

• Was there life on Mars and what secrets does Phobos hold?
• Samples of celestial bodies can help scientists answer these and other questions about our universe.
• concrete plans exercise There are already things that need to be done – it may be a while before researchers get hold of it.

You can find more space themes here

Two space missions are scheduled to sample Mars and its moon Phobos before the end of this decade and return them to Earth.

“These missions could, at some point, provide an opportunity to decipher the various evolutionary processes of life on Mars and Earth,” wrote Ryuki Hyodo and Tomohiro Usui of JAXA in an article published Thursday in the journal Science. One goal is to search for traces of possible past life on Mars.

In 2029, the Japanese Space Agency’s mission is expected to return a sample to Earth from the surface of the Martian moon Phobos.

The Mars rover is supposed to send samples

Phobos and Deimos are the moons of the planetThe first is closer to Mars. There may be rocky material on it which was thrown away by the impact of an asteroid on Mars.

According to previous findings, there is no water on Phobos, but the researchers hope that a sample will provide interesting insights due to the mix of different rocks.

The other mission has already begun. NASA’s “Perseverance” rover, which landed on Mars in February, is set to take a sample of the planet, which will one day be returned to Earth in cooperation with the European Space Agency, ESA – when and how exactly is still being planned.

a However, the rover’s first attempt at prospecting failed recentlyMore is planned. (dpa/thp)