Japan has launched its special space mission to explore Mars’ moon Phobos. Its name is Martian Moons Exploration (MMX). Under the leadership of Japan’s space agency JAXA, this mission will collect samples of soil and rocks from the surface of the moon of Mars. After this these samples will be brought to earth.
This spacecraft with the help of H3 rocket Japan Left today from Tanegashima Space Center. The mission aims to reach Mars in August 2027. After this the spacecraft will study Phobos closely. The target to bring the samples to Earth has been set for 2031.
Mission will find the answer to how Mars’ moons were formed
Mars has two moons. Their names are Phobos and Deimos. Scientists have been trying for a long time to understand how these two moons were formed. There are two main views on this matter among scientists. There is a possibility that these two moons were the first small asteroids, which started revolving around Mars due to the gravity of Mars. Another possibility is that Mars collided with a large celestial body and this moon was formed from the debris that came out of it.
The MMX mission will help find answers to these questions. Spacecraft will study the surface of Phobos, its composition, internal structure and gravity. This can help scientists understand how Mars and its moons evolved.
The biggest target of this mission is to collect at least 10 grams of soil and rock samples from the surface of Phobos. For this, there is a plan to land the spacecraft on the surface of Phobos. Scientists hope that examining these samples in labs on Earth will help in understanding the origin of Phobos. If old materials from Mars are present on its surface, then they can also provide new information about the history of Mars.
According to the mission plane, the return capsule carrying samples will enter the Earth’s atmosphere in the year 2031. After this there is a plan to get it back in Australia.
Also read: ‘Scary Smiley’ seen on the surface of Mars, space agency reveals the big secret behind it
Actually, a small rover named Idefix is also included in the MMX mission. It has been prepared jointly by the French space agency CNES and the German Aerospace Center DLR. This rover will examine the surface of Phobos. Its job is to find out the structure of the land and the possible difficulties present there. This will help the main spacecraft to choose the right place to collect samples. During the mission, the spacecraft will also study Deimos, the second moon of Mars. This will give scientists an opportunity to compare the two moons of Mars.
Many space agencies including NASA are involved
Apart from Japan, America’s space agency NASA, European Space Agency ESA, France’s CNES and Germany’s DLR are also cooperating in this mission. NASA has given a special instrument named MEGANE for this mission. This will help in identifying the elements present on the surface of Phobos. With this, scientists will be able to know what kind of substances are present there.
The mission plan is for about five years. After collecting samples and studying both moons of Mars, the spacecraft will leave the vicinity of Mars and return to Earth.
Also read: NASA officially retires Mars Insight Lander Mission, worked on Mars for 4 years
Scientists hope that the samples obtained from Phobos will prove important in understanding the story of the formation of Mars and its moons. These can also help in finding out how the planets and the bodies revolving around them evolved in the early stages of the solar system.
If the mission succeeds in its goal, it will be the first mission to bring samples from the moon of Mars to Earth. The study of these samples can also provide new information for future space missions related to Mars exploration.
—- End —-
Source link
[ad_3]
