Tiny quasi-moon Kamoʻoalewa may be lunar rock as China’s Tianwen-2 closes in for a sample

Kamoʻoalewa, a small near-Earth object that travels with Earth like a quasi-moon, may be a fragment of the Moon blown into space by an ancient impact. China’s Tianwen-2 has reached the object and will attempt to collect a few hundred grams of material using multiple sampling methods before returning a capsule to Inner Mongolia in 2027. A lunar origin would be confirmed if the rock’s minerals and isotopes match Moon rock; if not, the evidence would favor an asteroid origin. The mission will map and study Kamoʻoalewa through 2027, potentially providing a decisive answer about whether Earth has been shadowed by a piece of its own satellite.