China has successfully launched its latest deep-space mission, Tianwen 2, which is headed for a near-Earth asteroid and a comet in the asteroid belt. The spacecraft lifted off on May 28 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China, marking another step forward in China’s ambitious robotic exploration program.
Tianwen 2 is designed to study Kamo’oalewa, a quasi-moon of Earth that orbits the sun on a path close to our planet. The asteroid, which is about 100-330 feet wide, is believed to be a chunk of the moon that was blasted out by a giant impact within the past 10 million years. Analysis of this space rock could shed light on the evolution of the solar system.
The spacecraft will perform up-close observations with various science gear, including cameras and spectrometers, and collect about 100 grams of material from Kamo’oalewa using two different methods: “touch and go” and “anchor and attach.” It is expected to reach the asteroid in July 2026 and then depart in April 2027.
After returning to Earth, Tianwen 2 will embark on a second journey to the comet 311P/PANSTARRS, which resides in the asteroid belt. The spacecraft will arrive in orbit around the comet in 2035 and measure it using its onboard instrument suite. This mission could reveal insights about active asteroids and comets in general, as well as help establish which type of small body is responsible for delivering water to Earth billions of years ago.
Tianwen 2 marks China’s first-ever mission to an asteroid or a comet, following its successful Mars sample-return mission with Tianwen 1 in 2020. The nation has previously pulled off two sample-return missions: Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6. With this mission, China aims to further expand its planetary exploration efforts, including the launch of Tianwen 3 and Tianwen 4 projects in 2028 and 2030 respectively.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/sampling-a-quasi-moon-whats-next-for-chinas-newly-launched-tianwen-2-mission