China to Launch Tianwen-2 in 2025 for Asteroid and Comet Exploration

 

 

 

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has announced plans to launch the unmanned probe Tianwen-2 in 2025, aiming to collect asteroid soil samples.

As part of solar system exploration, the probe will conduct missions targeting two celestial bodies.

The first target of Tianwen-2 is the near-Earth asteroid '469219 Kamo'oalewa,' which has a diameter of around 40-100 meters. There is speculation that this asteroid may be a fragment that broke off from the moon.

The probe will collect soil samples from this asteroid and return them to Earth for analysis.

Through this, China aims to discover new clues about the formation and evolution of the solar system and the origins of life on Earth.

After collecting samples from Kamo'oalewa, Tianwen-2 will use Earth's gravity assist maneuver to head toward the comet '311P/PANSTARRS.'

It is expected to arrive at the comet in the 2030s, where it will conduct a close-range observation and analysis of the comet’s characteristics.

This series of missions is expected to explore primordial materials from the early solar system and contribute to understanding the material differences between comets and asteroids, as well as their formation and evolutionary processes.

The probe will be equipped with 10 different scientific instruments, including visible light and infrared spectrometers, a thermal radiation spectrometer, a multispectral camera, radar, and a magnetometer.

These will enable the probe to analyze surface components, investigate internal structures, and study magnetic fields, allowing for a wide range of scientific observations.

The launch of Tianwen-2 represents another significant advancement in China's space exploration efforts.

Local media have reported that the launch is scheduled for May 2025, likely using a Long March 3B rocket.

It is projected that Tianwen-2 will collect samples from '469219 Kamo'oalewa' about 2.5 years after launch, and arrival at '311P/PANSTARRS' is estimated to occur in the 2030s.

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China to Launch Tianwen-2 in 2025 for Asteroid and Comet Exploration