China plans to launch its Tianwen-2 mission in May 2025, which will investigate the asteroid Kamo'oalewa, marking a significant milestone in its space exploration efforts. This mission is notable as it will be China's first attempt to retrieve samples from an asteroid, placing it on par with space agencies like NASA, Roscosmos, and JAXA. Besides its primary target, Tianwen-2 will also explore comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the main asteroid belt, further showcasing China's expanding role in interplanetary research.
"Tianwen-2 marks China's first foray into asteroid exploration, aiming to collect samples from Kamo'oalewa, a unique quasi-satellite that orbits closely to Earth."
"Launching in May 2025, Tianwen-2's decade-long mission may also include a secondary objective of analyzing the comet 311P/PANSTARRS, showcasing China's growing ambitions in space exploration."
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