China has successfully launched the Tianwen 2 mission, aiming to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid called Kamo’oalewa. The spacecraft lifted off atop a Long March 3B rocket from Xichang spaceport on May 28 and is now en route to its destination.
The mission will test various sampling techniques, including landing on the rocky body if terrain allows. Scientists hope to assess the samples to understand the asteroid’s origins, which may be pieces of the moon sent into orbit by a giant impact. The data collected could aid in planetary defense planning.
Tianwen 2 is China’s second planetary exploration mission, following the successful Tianwen 1 Mars orbiter and rover launched in 2020. Future missions include Tianwen 3 for a Mars sample return and Tianwen 4 to visit the Jupiter system and potentially Uranus.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/china-launching-tianwen-2-mission-today-to-snag-samples-of-a-near-earth-asteroid