China launches Tianwen-2 space probe to collect samples from asteroid near Mars
The Tianwen-2 probe launched Thursday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province aboard the workhorse Long March 3-B rocket, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The target of the Tianwen-2 will be different from its predecessor, the Tianwen-1, which launched a year ago and landed on Mars.
Tianwen-2 will be aiming for the asteroid 2016 HO3, which is also known as 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, to bring back samples.
China's Secret Weapon In The Space Race Is Already Hurting Us
The proposed 10-year plan would involve more than just this space mission as China continues to look to expand into space.
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Zhang Rongqiao, chief designer of the Tianwen-1, told China Central Television he plans to implement the "Tianwen-3" Mars sampling return mission in 2028, while the "Tianwen-4" will head toward Jupiter.
According to The Associated Press, the asteroids, chosen for their relatively stable orbits, will hopefully offer clues about the formation of Earth, such as the origins of water.
Us Prepares To Deorbit International Space Station Amid China Competition
Samples from 2016HO3 are due to be returned in about two years.
Even if the CNSA is going to distribute these samples to international partners like they have on previous missions, NASA wouldn't be able to receive any samples.
A law passed in 2011, known as the Wolf Amendment, restricts NASA from having any cooperation with the CNSA.
China also operates the three-person Tiangong, or "Heavenly Palace," space station.
This gives China a step in the right direction to become a major force in the exploration of space.
Its permanent station was created after being excluded from the International Space Station over U.S. national security concerns.
The Associated Press contributed to this storyOriginal article source: China launches Tianwen-2 space probe to collect samples from asteroid near Mars
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San Francisco Chronicle
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Twelve are now enforcing bans on abortion at every stage of pregnancy, and four more do so after about six weeks' gestation, which is often before women realize they're pregnant. In the aftermath of the ruling, AP-NORC polling suggested that support for legal abortion access might be increasing. Last year, an AP-NORC poll conducted in June found that 7 in 10 U.S. adults said it should be available in all or most cases , up slightly from 65% in May 2022, just before the decision that overruled the constitutional right to abortion, and 57% in June 2021. The new poll is closer to Americans' views before the Supreme Court ruled. Now, 64% of adults support legal abortion in most or all cases. More than half the adults in states with the most stringent bans are in that group. 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Business Wire
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The clinical development plan for SSGJ-707 moving forward will include trial sites across the U.S. and rest of world with priority to the Phase 3 global development plan for NSCLC and other solid tumors. The first Phase 3 global studies will initiate enrollment in the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement, 3SBio will receive a payment of $1.25 billion. Pfizer will also make a $100 million equity investment in 3SBio. Additionally, the agreement provides Pfizer the option to extend the license to include exclusive development and commercialization rights to SSGJ-707 in China. In exchange for the exclusive rights in China, Pfizer will pay 3SBio up to $150 million in option payments. For additional background on the licensing deal, please read the announcement press release here. About Pfizer Oncology At Pfizer Oncology, we are at the forefront of a new era in cancer care. Our industry-leading portfolio and extensive pipeline includes three core mechanisms of action to attack cancer from multiple angles, including small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and bispecific antibodies, including other immune-oncology biologics. We are focused on delivering transformative therapies in some of the world's most common cancers, including breast cancer, genitourinary cancer, hematology-oncology, and thoracic cancers, which includes lung cancer. Driven by science, we are committed to accelerating breakthroughs to help people with cancer live better and longer lives. About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients' Lives At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For 175 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at In addition, to learn more, please visit us on and follow us on X at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Disclosure Notice: The information contained in this release is as of July 24, 2025. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments. This release contains forward-looking information about, among other topics, Pfizer Oncology, SSGJ-707, an investigational bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF, a global, ex-China, licensing agreement between Pfizer and 3SBio, Inc. granting Pfizer exclusive rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of SSGJ-707, and an option to extend the license to include exclusive development and commercialization rights to SSGJ-707 in China, including their potential benefits, manufacturing plans and development plans, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; risks related to the successful integration of the licensed asset with Pfizer's business; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; negative effects of this announcement or the consummation of the transaction on the market price of Pfizer's common stock and/or operating results; significant transaction costs; unknown liabilities; the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the transaction or SSGJ-707; manufacturing capabilities or capacity; other business effects and uncertainties, including the effects of industry, market, business, economic, political or regulatory conditions; future exchange and interest rates; risks and uncertainties related to issued or future executive orders or other new, or changes in, laws, regulations or policy; changes in tax and other laws, regulations, rates and policies; the uncertainties inherent in business and financial planning, including, without limitation, risks related to Pfizer's business and prospects, adverse developments in Pfizer's markets, or adverse developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets, regulatory environment, tariffs and other trade policies or economies generally; future business combinations or disposals; uncertainties regarding the commercial success of SSGJ-707 and Pfizer's commercialized and pipeline products; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; risks associated with preliminary or interim data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies; whether and when drug applications may be filed in any jurisdictions for SSGJ-707 or any of Pfizer's pipeline products for any potential indications; whether and when any such applications may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product's efficacy and, if approved, whether SSGJ-707 or any such other products will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of SSGJ-707 or any such other products; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19; and competitive developments. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned 'Risk Factors' and 'Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results', as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at and
