Early July is the expected arrival window for Tianwen-2 at Kamoʻoalewa, where China aims to collect 20 to 100 milligrams of material in its first asteroid sample-return attempt.
Small propulsive maneuvers observed earlier this month appear to have set up the probe's close approach, though Chinese authorities have released few details on its exact trajectory or rendezvous date.
The 40-to-100-meter asteroid orbits the Sun in sync with Earth about 9 million miles away, making it one of only seven known quasi-satellites of Earth.
Spectral observations matching Apollo lunar rocks have fueled the theory that Kamoʻoalewa is a fragment blasted from the Moon, giving the mission potential to clarify both the asteroid's origin and early solar system history.
Tianwen-2 launched on May 29, 2025, is expected to drop its sample capsule to Earth in April 2027 before continuing toward asteroid 311P/PANSTARRS for a planned 2035 flyby.
As China's probe nears Earth's 'mini-moon,' will the sample it collects finally solve the mystery of its origin?
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Tianwen-2’s Historic Mission to Kamoʻoalewa: Engineering, Science, and the Global Race to Return Asteroid Samples by 2027
Overview
As of June 30, 2026, the Tianwen-2 spacecraft is closely investigating the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa after arriving earlier that month. The mission is gradually descending from 20 kilometers to just 300 meters above the asteroid’s surface, using a suite of 11 advanced science payloads—including Italy’s DIANAdust analyzer—to gather detailed data before attempting a historic sample collection. These careful preparations are crucial for ensuring the success of the upcoming landing and sample return, which could reveal whether Kamoʻoalewa is a fragment of the Moon or a relic from the early Solar System.