Japan aiming to beat US and China in race to bring soil to Earth from Mars region

China in May became the second country to land and operate a spacecraft on Mars and plans to bring back samples around 2030.

The planet Mars (Nasa/Esa/PA)

Japanese space agency scientists said they plan to bring soil samples back from the Mars region ahead of the United States and China, which started Mars missions last year, 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 Phobos, a Martian moon, to collect 10 grams of soil and bring it back to Earth in 2029.