China marked a new milestone in space exploration with the successful launch of its Tianwen-2 spacecraft early Thursday, embarking on an ambitious decade-long mission to retrieve samples from a near-Earth asteroid and study a distant comet. The mission aims to unlock secrets about the solar system's formation while showcasing China's growing technological prowess.
A Long March-3B rocket lifted off at 1:31 a.m. Beijing Time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, carrying the probe into its planned Earth-asteroid transfer orbit. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed the spacecraft deployed its solar panels as planned, calling the launch "a complete success."
Tianwen-2's primary target is asteroid 2016HO3, a celestial body that orbits the sun in sync with Earth. After collecting samples from this space rock, the probe will journey further to observe main-belt comet 311P – located beyond Mars – providing scientists with unprecedented comparative data about two distinct types of solar system objects.
This mission builds on China's recent lunar sample-return achievements and positions the country as a key player in planetary science. Researchers globally anticipate the findings could reshape understanding of asteroid composition and early solar system dynamics.
