Tianwen-2

Tianwen-2 (Chinese: 天问二号) is a Chinese asteroid sample return and comet exploration mission that launched on 28 May 2025. It is the second mission of the Planetary Exploration of China program of the China National Space Agency (CNSA), and the only planned mission to focus on small Solar System bodies. The probe departed Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March 3B rocket. On July 4, 2026 the spacecraft arrived at 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, a near-Earth asteroid that is currently a quasi-satellite of Earth. CNSA plans for Tianwen-2 to return samples from the asteroid during an Earth flyby in 2027 by ejecting a capsule into atmospheric entry. After the flyby, the probe is planned to rendezvous with the main-belt comet 311P/PanSTARRS in January 2035, and explore it with its 11 onboard instruments.