Japan is looking forward to send a manned mission to Mars with the help of international community.

Science ministry officials have said that cost and technological difficulties are the biggest constraint for Japan to launch a manned mission to Mars. And that is why participation of other countries will play a significant role in helping the country to make its manned mission to Mars a reality, said ministry officials in a May 30 meeting with an advisory council. The meeting was organized to discuss Japan's space exploration strategy.

The council is likely to come up with a report on the project by July. The International Space Exploration Coordination Group, a voluntary organization of 14 space agencies, has said in its updated global exploration road map that a human mission to Mars will be launched in 2030.

The US government also talked about its plans in 2010 to send astronauts on missions to orbit Mars by the mid-2030s. However, how the US will go about it has not been determined yet.

Tokyo is eyeing for a Mars mission, but needs international help to overcome staggering cost and complexities associated with space technology.

Now, the participating countries will have to figure out how they will share the expenses and develop the necessary technology. It is not known yet that what would be the role of Japan in the project and whether or not Japanese astronauts would be aboard the spacecraft.