China has successfully launched its Tianwen-2 mission on May 28, 2025, aboard a Long March 3B rocket. The mission's primary objectives include collecting samples from the near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamo'oalewa and conducting a flyby exploration of the main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS.
The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is expected to reach Kamo'oalewa in 2026. Scientists speculate that Kamo'oalewa may be a fragment of the Moon, ejected by an impact. The mission aims to collect surface samples and return them to Earth by late 2027 using a re-entry capsule.
Afterward, Tianwen-2 will use Earth's gravity for a slingshot maneuver, beginning a seven-year journey to comet 311P/PANSTARRS, with an expected arrival around 2035. The mission will study the comet's orbit, shape, rotation, surface composition, and dust activity. If successful, China will become the third nation to return samples from an asteroid, following the United States and Japan.
The mission will test various sampling techniques, including a potential landing on the asteroid's surface. Data gathered will provide insights into the solar system's evolution and aid in planetary defense strategies. Tianwen-2 represents a significant step in China's deep-space exploration program.