China to launch Tianwen-2 spacecraft to scoop asteroid near Earth
The mission will be carried into space by a Long March-3B rocket and, once launched, will target asteroid 2016 HO3—also known as Kamooalewa—a small, 100-meter-wide 'quasi-satellite' that orbits the sun in a pattern closely synchronised with Earth.Equipped with a mechanical arm, Tianwen-2 will attempt to scoop up dust and regolith from the surface of 2016 HO3, using both touch-and-go and anchoring techniques.The probe is expected to return at least 100 grams of material to Earth in about two and a half years, providing valuable insights into the early solar system and the formation of planetary bodies.In addition to its primary asteroid target, Tianwen-2 will later journey to study comet 311P, further expanding the scope of the mission. The spacecraft carries a suite of scientific instruments, including spectrometers, high-resolution cameras, a radar sounder, and a magnetometer, to analyse the composition and structure of its targets.advertisementChina's asteroid mission follows the successful sample returns from asteroids by the United States and Japan, and builds on China's own recent achievements, such as the Chang'e-6 mission, which brought back samples from the far side of the moon in 2024.Looking ahead, China plans to attempt a Mars sample-return mission, Tianwen-3, around 2028.
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