China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Tianwen-2

Long March 3B/E

SUCCESS
Success

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 · 17:31 UTC

Mission

/01

Tianwen-2 is a planned Chinese asteroid sample return and comet orbiter mission due for launch in May 2025. The spacecraft will visit the Near Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3), collecting samples from its surface using both touch-and-go and anchor-and-drill approaches. It will return the samples back to Earth around 2.5 years after launch, with the main spacecraft proceeding to visit the main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the mid-2030s.

Mission Type

Planetary Science

Orbit

Asteroid (Asteroid)

Probability

N/A

Status

Launch Successful

Vehicle & Pad

/02

Rocket

Long March 3B/E

Variant: B/E

Launch Pad

Launch Complex 2 (LC-2)

Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

28.246° N, 102.027° E

119

Pad Launches

226

Location Launches

525

Agency Launches

118

Orbital This Year

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