China's Tianwen-2 Reaches 100-Foot Kamoʻoalewa After 400 Days for Sample Return

3 articles · Updated · Jersey's Best · Jul 13

China's Tianwen-2 has arrived at asteroid Kamoʻoalewa after a 400-day journey and is now surveying the surface for science observations and possible sampling sites.
The probe will spend several months studying the roughly 100-foot quasi-moon before attempting to either land or grab surface material for return to Earth at the end of 2027.
Kamoʻoalewa, discovered in 2016, is a stony asteroid whose orbit repeatedly brings it near Earth; its composition resembles Apollo 14 moonrocks, fueling suspicions it may be a lunar fragment.
The mission extends beyond the sample return: after leaving Kamoʻoalewa, Tianwen-2 is slated to continue on to Comet 311P in 2035.

Sources

Jersey's Best4d ago

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Tianwen-2’s 2026 Kamoʻoalewa Encounter: First Close-Up, Sample Return, and China’s Dual-Target Deep Space Breakthrough

Overview

In July 2026, Tianwen-2 reached Kamoʻoalewa, giving humanity its first close-up views of this mysterious quasi-satellite. These images offered unprecedented insights into Kamoʻoalewa’s characteristics and possible origin. The mission’s arrival enabled detailed mapping and set the stage for a sampling attempt planned for late July or early August. Both mapping and sampling are crucial steps to understand this unique object. However, Kamoʻoalewa’s rapid rotation, completing a full spin every 28 minutes, presents immediate challenges for the Tianwen-2 team as they prepare for these important operations.

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