China begins historical mission to bring untouched samples from asteroid to Earth

The Tianwen-2 mission seeks to reveal how asteroids have formed and what they can tell us about the birth of the solar system

China has taken an important step in its space exploration by launching the Tianwen-2 mission on Thursday, which aims to collect samples from an asteroid near the Earth and bring the materials to study. If successful, the endeavor will put the country as the third nation to perform this type of feat, behind only Japan and the United States.

The Long March 3B rocket took off from the Xichang satellite launch center in Sichuan province at 1:31 am local time (6:30 pm on Wednesday GMT). On board was the tube Tianwen-2, which now starts a journey of years through space. According to Chinese state media, the ship “opened its solar panels without problems”, and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed the success of the launch.

Towards the mysterious asteroid

Tianwen-2 is due to arrive in July 2026 at its first destination: the asteroid 492619 Kothookalso known as 2016ho3located about 16 million kilometers from Earth. Scientists suspect that this celestial body may be a fragment of the moon, and the mission aims to collect samples from its surface.

If all goes as planned, the capsule with space rocks will return to Earth in November 2027, bringing material that can help unravel secrets of the solar system.

The state newspaper People’s Daily He pointed out that the mission aims to “clarify the formation and evolution of asteroids and the primitive solar system”. Shan Zhongdedirector of CNSA, said the endeavor represents a “significant step in China’s new interplanetary exploration journey.” He added that the mission can bring “revolutionary discoveries and expand humanity’s knowledge of the cosmos.”

Ambitious objectives

In addition to collecting samples of the 2016ho3 asteroid, Tianwen-2 will also study the comet 311Plocated in the main belt of asteroids. The probe will analyze physical parameters of the two celestial bodies, including their orbits, rotation, size, shape and thermal properties.

The materials collected will be used to determine the physical, chemical and mineralogical composition of asteroids, valuable information to understand the origin of the solar system.

China advances in the space program

This mission is another milestone in the ambitious Chinese space program, which already includes feats such as the landing of robots on the hidden side of the moon and the collection of unpublished lunar samples in 2023.

Currently, China operates its own space station, the Tiangongas it was excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) by the US. In April, three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth after six months in orbit, beating the permanence record in the country’s space.

In addition, Beijing plans to send astronauts to the moon until 2030competing directly with the US, which intend to return to the natural satellite with the mission Artemis 3 em 2026.

With Tianwen-2, China reinforces its role as a spatial power and advances in the race for asteroid exploration, paving the way for future scientific discoveries.

With information from Al Jazeera and news agencies*