Japan Aims to Bring Back Soil Samples from Mars Moon by 2029

This composite photo, created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s, made available by NASA shows the planet Mars. (NASA via AP)
This composite photo, created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s, made available by NASA shows the planet Mars. (NASA via AP)
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Japan Aims to Bring Back Soil Samples from Mars Moon by 2029

This composite photo, created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s, made available by NASA shows the planet Mars. (NASA via AP)
This composite photo, created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s, made available by NASA shows the planet Mars. (NASA via AP)

Japan's space agency plans to bring soil samples back from the Mars region ahead of the US and Chinese missions now operating on Mars, in hopes of finding clues to the planet's origin and traces of possible life.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, plans to launch an explorer in 2024 to land on the Martian moon Phobos to collect 10 grams (0.35 ounce) of soil and bring it back to Earth in 2029, reported The Associated Press.

The rapid return trip would put Japan ahead of the United States and China in bringing back samples from the Martian region despite starting later, project manager Yasuhiro Kawakatsu said in an online news conference Thursday.

NASA's Perseverance rover is operating in a Mars crater where it is to collect 31 samples that are to be returned to Earth with help from the European Space Agency as early as 2031. China landed a spacecraft on Mars in May and plans to bring back samples around 2030.

JAXA scientists believe about 0.1% of the surface soil on Phobos came from Mars, and 10 grams could contain about 30 granules, depending on the consistency of the soil, Kawakatsu said.

Tomohiro Usui, professor at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, said soil on Phobos is likely to be a mixture of material from the moon itself and material from Mars that was spread by sandstorms. Collecting samples from multiple locations on Phobos could provide a greater chance of obtaining possible traces of life from Mars than obtaining soil from a single location on Mars, he said.

Any life forms that might have come from Mars will have died because of harsh solar and cosmic radiation on Phobos, JAXA scientists said. The NASA and the European Space Agency missions focus on potential life forms and evolution of the area of the Jezero crater, believed to be an ancient lake.

By studying Phobos soil samples including material from Mars, scientists hope to learn about the evolution of the Martian biosphere, Usui said.

He said Japanese research on Phobos and NASA’s samples from specific locations in the Martian crater can complement each other and could lead to answers to questions such as how Martian life, if present, emerged and evolved in time and place.

Last December, a JAXA probe, Hayabusa2, brought back more than 5 grams (0.19 ounce) of soil from the asteroid Ryugu, more than 300 million kilometers (190 million miles) from Earth, in the world’s first successful return of an asteroid sample.



Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
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Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)

Discover the hidden gem of the UK's coffee culture, where vibrant independent cafes outshine the chains, offering a unique blend of flavors and atmospheres.

“Fancy a brew?” “I'll put the kettle on then.” Hearing those words are no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK, The Daily Express newspaper reported on Monday.

It said grabbing a coffee either on the go or at a café is as part of British culture these days as it is in Italy.

But while every person has its favorite chain, be it Pret, Starbucks, Costa or Cafe Nero, nothing beats finding a decent independent coffee shop one can call home especially when it can seem high streets are dominated by the same chains.

So with the demand for coffee only growing, where is the best spot in the UK to find an independent coffee shop?

A study by Reviva Coffee reveals the UK city that is the hidden gem when it comes to thriving coffee culture.

And it probably isn't where you'd expect. In fact this county is synonymous with tea. Yorkshire Tea, to be precise.

However the study discovered the best UK city to find independent coffee shops is in the Yorkshire city of Leeds. It has a staggering 584 coffee shops, of which 86.3% are independent, and just under 14% are chains.

Placing second is Edinburgh. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just needing a cosy pit stop, Edinburgh has you covered with its outstanding coffee scene with 560 shops, 85% of which are independents.

In third for best UK cities for independent coffee shops is Bristol which has 347 coffee shops, 86.3% of which are independent.