BEIJING: China’s first asteroid sample-return mission, Tianwen 2, is scheduled to be launched in the coming months from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, according to the China National Space Administration.
The agency said on Thursday evening that the robotic probe was transported to the spaceport earlier that day. It added that facilities at the launch center “are in good condition, and pre-launch preparations are underway as planned”. The mission has been scheduled to take place in the first half of the year, the agency said.
According to mission planners, Tianwen 2, the country’s second interplanetary expedition, will target 2016 HO3, the smallest and closest quasi-satellite to Earth. The basic plan is to use a large carrier rocket to send a probe comprising two parts — an orbiter and a reentry module — toward the asteroid.
After approaching 2016 HO3, the unmanned spacecraft will orbit the asteroid and then fly very close to it to use a mechanical arm to scoop dust from the surface.
Next, Tianwen 2 will fly back to Earth’s orbit and release its reentry module, which will return to the ground with the samples. The orbiter will then travel toward a main-belt comet called 311P to continue its scientific exploration tasks. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
