China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft is set to arrive at Kamoʻoalewa, a small asteroid that orbits the Sun in a near-Earth path and is sometimes called Earth's 'mini-moon.' The mission aims to collect surface samples from the rock, which may hold clues to a lunar origin.
The asteroid's orbit and composition distinguish it from typical near-Earth objects. Scientists hypothesize Kamoʻoalewa is a fragment ejected from the Moon by an ancient impact—making it a unique target for understanding lunar history and planetary formation. The asteroid is difficult to study from afar, and no spacecraft has visited it before.
Tianwen-2 will attempt to touch down on the asteroid's surface using a robotic arm. The samples, if successfully retrieved, would be returned to Earth for laboratory analysis. The mission carries multiple instruments, including cameras and spectrometers, to survey the asteroid before collecting material.
If the samples confirm a lunar origin, it could reshape theories about how impacts distribute material across the solar system. It may also provide geochemical data about the Moon's subsurface, complementing samples from China's earlier Chang'e missions.
The Chinese space agency has not disclosed the exact landing date, but the spacecraft is currently 'approaching' its target, according to reports from state media. Tianwen-2 follows China's first asteroid sample mission, which returned material from asteroid 2016 HO3 in 2022.