China’s Tianwen-2 aims for first-ever sampling of Earth’s quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa
TL;DR Summary
China’s CNSA Tianwen-2 spacecraft has reached the near-Earth quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa and is set to attempt sampling on July 4, 2026, potentially via a touch‑and‑go grab or direct drilling, collecting about 100 grams of surface material. After mapping the rock from ~300 m to 20 km altitude, the samples would return to Earth in late 2027, with a planned 2035 follow‑up to study 311P/PanSTARRS. The mission could reveal Kamo'oalewa’s origin—perhaps lunar debris or a main-belt fragment—while showcasing China’s space capabilities and informing future asteroid resource exploration.
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