China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft has reached its target, the asteroid Kamo'oalewa, after a journey of over one billion kilometers. The probe has transmitted the first close-up photographs of this near-Earth object, which scientists call a "quasi-moon." The milestone marks a major step in China's expanding deep-space exploration program.
Kamo'oalewa, discovered in 2016, is one of Earth's quasi-satellites — a small asteroid that appears to orbit our planet but is actually in a heliocentric orbit. Its origins remain a puzzle, with some theories suggesting it may be a fragment blasted off the Moon. Understanding its composition could shed light on the early solar system's dynamics.
The mission, launched in 2025, aims to collect samples from the asteroid's surface and return them to Earth. Tianwen-2 will conduct detailed observations using onboard instruments before attempting a landing. The first images have already revealed the object's irregular shape and rocky terrain.
If successful, Tianwen-2 would make China the third nation to retrieve samples from an asteroid, following Japan's Hayabusa missions and NASA's OSIRIS-REx. The data could help scientists refine models of planetary formation and assess potential resources for future space mining.
Some experts caution that the sample-return phase remains the riskiest part of the mission. The spacecraft must navigate a low-gravity environment and successfully deploy a collection mechanism on a body that is little understood.