Japan is launching multiple missions to explore the mysteries of the solar system in the coming years, joining hands with the European Union and countries such as India to compete with space superpowers such as the United States and Russia.
The ultimate goal of space exploration is "to expand the areas of activities for humans and find another habitable planet. I believe there is a possibility that we can colonize Mars," said Hitoshi Kuninaka, a vice president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
In 2018, Japan made history by landing two small rovers from the space probe Hayabusa2 on the surface of an asteroid 300 million kilometers from Earth. Hayabusa2's touchdown on the Ryugu asteroid is expected in late January this year.