The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has released the first image of its Tianwen-2 probe, which shows its solar panels deployed while more than 3 million kilometers from Earth. Launched on May 29, 2023, Tianwen-2 aims to land on the asteroid Kamo'oalewa and collect samples by July 2026. The mission involves studying the asteroid extensively to select a sampling site before attempting a landing, as well as executing a return trajectory aimed at another asteroid, 311P/PanSTARRS, expected to continue until 2035.
Tianwen-2 will land on Kamo'oalewa in July 2026, collect samples, and return to Earth. It will also study the asteroid before landing.
The CNSA has unveiled the first image from Tianwen-2, showing its solar panels deployed, as it travels over 3 million kilometers from Earth.
Kamo'oalewa, discovered in 2016, is a quasi-moon of Earth, orbiting the sun similarly to our planet but not gravitationally bound.
After collecting samples from Kamo'oalewa, Tianwen-2 will utilize Earth's gravity to slingshot towards the asteroid 311P/PanSTARRS.
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