By 
May 29th, 2025
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return mission is now underway, launched early Thursday.
A Long March-3B booster sent the probe skyward from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province at 1:31 a.m. (Beijing Time).
The Tianwen-2 probe was sent into a transfer orbit from Earth to the asteroid 2016HO3. It will journey for about one year to reach its first target, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Multiple goals
The Tianwen-2 mission aims to achieve multiple goals over a decade-long expedition: collecting samples from the near-Earth asteroid 2016HO3 and exploring the main-belt comet 311P.
Known as a quasi-satellite of Earth, asteroid 2016HO3 orbits the Sun and appears to circle around Earth as well, remaining a constant companion to our planet.
The main-belt comet 311P is viewed as a “rebel” of the main asteroid belt as it displays features of both comets and asteroids. It displays features of both comets and asteroids.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Flying and probing
As China’s first space probe commissioned to retrieve samples from an asteroid, the probe will slowly approach asteroid 2016HO3, carrying out close exploration by circling and hovering over the asteroid to determine the sampling area, with a strategy of flying and probing simultaneously.
After completing the sampling, the spacecraft will haul its collectibles back to the vicinity of Earth. A return capsule will separate from the main probe and is expected to deliver the samples to Earth by the end of 2027, according to China Central Television (CCTV).
The main probe will then continue its voyage to rendezvous with the more distant target, the main-belt comet 311P.
Dusty Zhurong rover.
Credit: CNSA
Tianwen series
China’s first Mars exploration mission was named Tianwen-1, launched back in 2020. It achieved a soft landing on the Martian surface in May 2021, deploying the Zhurong rover to reconnoiter the landing area.
China’s Tianwen-3 mission is now being readied to collect samples from the surface of Mars for return.
Tianwen-4 will target Jupiter and Uranus.
Go to video of launch at:
Posted in Space News
