Tianwen-2 reaches the quasi-moon Kamoʻoalewa: China prepares a first sample grab from this type of asteroid
China's Tianwen-2 probe reached the asteroid Kamoʻoalewa on July 4 and closed to 20 kilometres, Live Science reports. It launched on May 28, 2025 from Xichang.
Kamoʻoalewa is a so-called quasi-moon of Earth: it orbits the Sun in a way that makes it appear to accompany Earth, approaching to about 4.6 million kilometres. It is estimated at 40 to 100 metres across. The probe is descending in steps, from 20 kilometres to three, then 600 and 300 metres, aiming to collect about 100 grams of material by touch-and-go or by anchoring and drilling.
A piece of the Moon?
Some scientists believe Kamoʻoalewa is a fragment of the Moon blasted off by an ancient impact. "We don't yet know [its] composition or origin," said Li Chunlai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Sources and references
- I.Live ScienceChinese probe arrives at one of Earth's quasi-moons🔗 https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/a-secretive-chinese-probe-has-just-arrived-at-one-of-earths-quasi-moons-and-will-soon-attempt-a-first-of-its-kind-landing
- II.WikipediaTianwen-2🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianwen-2
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