China launches new mission to collect asteroid samples and explore deep space

In a new step for space exploration, China has launched its first asteroid sampling mission, Tianwen 2, marking a new phase in the country’s deep-space research programme. This is reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

The mission aims to collect material from a near-Earth asteroid and later investigate a distant comet, offering new insights into the formation of celestial bodies in the solar system.

Tianwen 2 is designed to fulfil several objectives in a single mission. China has outlined two major engineering goals for Tianwen 2: first, to test key technologies for operating on small, weak-gravity celestial bodies, including autonomous navigation and precision control; and second, to collect scientific data that will support research into the origin, evolution, and structure of asteroids and comets.

The collection process will involve close-range operations near the asteroid’s surface before the probe returns to Earth with the gathered material in late 2027. Once it re-enters Earth’s orbit, the probe will release a re-entry capsule to deliver the samples to scientists on the ground.

These samples will be analysed for their physical properties, chemical and mineralogical compositions, and isotopic signatures. Findings are expected to contribute to global understanding of asteroid dynamics, the early history of the solar system, and possibly the origins of water and organic compounds on Earth.

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