China launches groundbreaking asteroid mission

China made history on Wednesday, May 29 when its space agency launched its Tianwen-2 probe aboard a Long March 3B rocket. The probe has begun its complex mission to collect and return samples from asteroid 2016 HO3 and later explore comet 311P. Tianwen-2 will return asteroid samples to Earth by 2027, then continue on to study comet 311P. Equipped with 11 scientific instruments, the probe will complete 13 mission stages.

The mission aims to advance key space technologies such as weak-gravity surface sampling, autonomous navigation, and deep space orbit transfers. From a scientific standpoint, it seeks to analyze the composition, structure, and evolution of small celestial bodies to deepen our understanding of the early solar system.

Led by the China National Space Administration, the mission marks a major step in China’s planetary exploration efforts and scientific research. The mission aims to advance technologies like weak-gravity sampling, autonomous navigation, and deep-space transfers.

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