The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Chiba Institute of Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo University, and Tokyo Pharmaceutical University have conducted scientific research on the assessment of microbial contamination of Mars satellites, and based on the results of this study, JAXA's Martian Moons eXQ plan ( It has been internationally agreed that Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) will be carried out with the same level of planetary protection policy as "Hayabusa2".

 There are rules (planetary protection policy) that each country concerned must follow when conducting space exploration.It is an international standard guideline to prevent celestial bodies from being contaminated by organic components and microorganisms from the earth and to protect the biosphere from extraterrestrial life and life-derived substances.

 However, the celestial bodies subject to the current planetary protection policy do not include the Mars satellite.It is said that unknown microorganisms may still be alive on Mars, and it is undeniable that Mars material may be carried to Mars satellites. In MMX planned by JAXA as a next-generation sample return mission following "Hayabusa2", the probability that microorganisms will be included in the sample recovered from the Martian satellite in order to conduct exploration with the same level of planetary protection policy as "Hayabusa2" However, it was necessary to show that it was below the internationally agreed upper limit (one millionth).

 The research team addressed this issue and first estimated the distribution of microorganisms that could have been carried from Mars to the Moons of Mars within the last 500 million years.Based on this result, we calculated the probability that living microorganisms will be collected when using the core-type sand layer collection system planned by MMX, and considered various computational indeterminacy. However, it was shown that there is a 99% chance that the recovered sample will contain microorganisms in less than one-millionth.

 The results of this study, which scientifically demonstrated the safety of Martian moons eXQ, were accepted by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and accepted as a recommendation to MMX.Since the Mars satellite has important significance as a candidate base for manned exploration on Mars in the future, it can be said that it will contribute to full-scale exploration of Mars.

reference:[Tokyo Institute of Technology] Contribution to international planetary protection policy for Mars satellite exploration

Tokyo University

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The University of Tokyo was established in 1877 (Meiji 10) by integrating the Tokyo Kaisei School and the Tokyo Medical School.Since its establishment, it has developed education and research in a unique way in the world as a leading university in Japan and an academic center for the fusion of East and West cultures.As a result, many human resources have been produced in a wide range of fields, and many research achievements […]

Tokyo Institute of Technology

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Tokyo Institute of Technology was established as the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1881 (Meiji 14), when modernization of industry was an urgent need.Since its establishment, it has continued to produce excellent research results with excellent science and engineering human resources, and is still at the top of Japan's science and engineering universities.Tokyo Institute of Technology requires not only a high degree of specialization but also liberal arts […]

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Foster professionals who learn cutting-edge science and technology and contribute to world culture with technology

Chiba Institute of Technology was founded in 1942 as "Koa Institute of Technology" in response to social demands to train advanced science and technology engineers and enrich Asian countries including Japan.In the 17 years since then, it has continued to support Japan's growth through manufacturing, and is now the oldest existing private technical university […].

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Tokyo University of Pharmacy is Japan's oldest private pharmacy education institution founded in 1880.Under the educational environment guided by traditional and cutting-edge research facilities and leading researchers, high knowledge and skills that support human life and health, humanity-filled pharmacists and researchers who can understand human pain. We are training engineers.hand[…]

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