Context:

China's Tianwen-2 mission aims to collect samples from the asteroid Kamoʻoalewa, suspected to be a fragment of the moon, with a launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 3B rocket. If successful, China will join Japan and the United States as the third nation to return pristine asteroid materials to Earth, offering insights into the formation of the Earth-moon system. The spacecraft will employ two sampling methods: 'Touch and Go' and 'Anchor and Attach', the latter being untested. In addition to Kamoʻoalewa, the mission will also target the unusual main belt comet 311P/PanSTARRS, potentially advancing understanding of icy bodies within the asteroid belt. The mission represents a precursor to the ambitious Tianwen-3, aimed at retrieving samples from Mars by 2028, furthering China's capabilities in planetary exploration.

Dive Deeper:

• Tianwen-2 is set to launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 3B rocket, aiming to reach the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa, which is thought to be a moon fragment, in about a year.

• The mission will make China the third nation to retrieve uncontaminated asteroid samples, following Japan's Hayabusa missions and NASA's Osiris-Rex, providing crucial data on the Earth-moon system's formation.

• The spacecraft will use two methods to collect samples: the 'Touch and Go' method, already used by Japan and the US, and the novel 'Anchor and Attach' method, which involves drilling to secure the spacecraft before sampling.

• Kamoʻoalewa, previously known as 2016 HO3, is a quasi-satellite of Earth, and its potential lunar origin could reveal important details about the early solar system, despite challenges posed by its small size and rapid rotation.

• Following its primary mission, Tianwen-2 will target Comet 311P/PanSTARRS, a rare main belt comet, potentially providing insights into the presence of icy bodies in the inner solar system.

• The mission also serves as a precursor to China's Tianwen-3 mission, planned for 2028, which aims to collect samples from Mars, highlighting China's growing expertise in space exploration.

• Studying Kamoʻoalewa will contribute to understanding the Yarkovsky effect, where thermal emissions from a rotating asteroid can alter its trajectory, a factor critical for assessing potential asteroid impact risks on Earth.