CNSA launched the
Tianwen-2 probe using a
Long March 3B carrier rocket on 28 May 2025 from the
Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China. The probe uses
solar electric propulsion for maneuvering between its many objectives. It is planned to explore the
co-orbital near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa and the
main-belt comet 311P/PanSTARRS. The spacecraft will rendezvous with Kamoʻoalewa and conduct
remote sensing observations in orbit, before landing on the asteroid to collect a sample of of
regolith.
Tianwen-2 would carry out investigations at progressively lower altitudes from 20 kilometers, 3 km, 600 meters and down to 300 m from the asteroid’s surface. Explosives will be used to expose potential subsurface
volatiles for detection. The spacecraft will use both anchor-and-attach and touch-and-go methods to attempt collection of a sample from the asteroid. It would be the first time an anchor-and-attach method has been used on an asteroid, as both
OSIRIS-REx and
Hayabusa2 used touch-and-go.
Tianwen-2 will then return to Earth to drop off a return capsule containing the sample and conduct a
gravity assist maneuver to propel the spacecraft toward 311P/PanSTARRS. Remote sensing and in-situ measurements will be conducted at 311P/PanSTARRS for at least one year. == History ==