Hey space fans, get ready for an epic adventure! China's first asteroid probing mission, Tianwen-2, is set to blast off this Thursday. 🚀 According to China Media Group and the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Long March-3B Y110 carrier rocket is busy with propellant loading at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.
This mission is a multi-object deep-space journey. Tianwen-2 will perform a close fly-by of near-Earth asteroid 2016 HO3 (also known as Kamo'oalewa) to collect samples, then return those samples to Earth before moving on for a fly-by investigation of main-belt comet 311P. If successful, China will join an elite club including the United States and Japan, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.
The probe has aced its final assembly, system testing, fueling, transfer, functional checks, and joint pre-launch rehearsals, while coordinated drills spanned from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Xi'an Satellite Monitoring Center, and the Yuanwang tracking ship fleet. This mission is a bold leap into the cosmos, uniting science and adventure in one stellar journey. Stay tuned for more updates on this interstellar expedition! 🌌
Reference(s):
China set to launch first asteroid mission Tianwen-2 on Thursday
cgtn.com
