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Last Update2025-08-05
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Event Overview
China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft, launched on May 28, 2025, is en route to the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed the spacecraft is over 3 million kilometers from Earth and functioning as planned. Tianwen-2 will study and collect samples from the asteroid, hypothesized to be a lunar fragment, before returning to Earth in late 2027. The mission aims to provide insights into solar system evolution and Earth's water origins, showcasing China's advancements in deep-space exploration.
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China's Tianwen-2 Spacecraft Successfully Launches and Heads Toward Asteroid Kamoʻoalewa
China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft, launched on May 28, 2025, aboard a Long March 3B rocket, is currently operating smoothly in its mission to explore the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed on June 6, 2025, that the spacecraft is more than 3 million kilometers (1.86 million miles) away from Earth and functioning as expected. CNSA also released the first in-space photograph of the mission, captured by an engineering camera, showing one of the spacecraft's two circular solar panels. This image marks the first public glimpse of the mission, as previous releases were only artistic renderings, and the launch was not broadcast live.
Tianwen-2 is expected to reach Kamoʻoalewa, a mysterious asteroid believed to be a fragment of the Moon, by July 2026. The spacecraft will spend several months orbiting and studying the asteroid before collecting samples. Scientists hypothesize that Kamoʻoalewa may have been blasted out of the Moon by a giant impact. After collecting samples, Tianwen-2 will return to Earth in late 2027, delivering the samples in a reentry capsule. The mission will then utilize Earth's gravity for a slingshot maneuver to redirect toward the main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS, with a rendezvous expected around 2035.
The mission aims to provide critical data on the composition and nature of these celestial bodies, offering insights into the solar system's evolution and the origin of water on Earth. Tianwen-2 employs three innovative sampling techniques—hover sampling, touch-and-go, and anchored drilling—depending on the asteroid's surface conditions. The mission underscores China's growing capabilities in deep-space exploration, building on previous successes like the Chang'e-2 lunar orbiter's flyby of asteroid Toutatis in 2012 and the Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission.
The Tianwen-2 mission has garnered significant attention, with U.S. scientists reportedly stunned by its ambitious scope, prompting urgent high-level discussions within NASA. The mission represents a milestone in China's space exploration efforts, positioning the nation as a major player in planetary science.