久久亚洲国产成人影院-久久亚洲国产的中文-久久亚洲国产高清-久久亚洲国产精品-亚洲图片偷拍自拍-亚洲图色视频

China launches its first asteroid sampling mission

By Zhao Lei in Xichang, Sichuan | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-05-29 02:42
Share
Share - WeChat

China's Tianwen 2 probe, atop a Long March 3B carrier rocket, lifts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province, May 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China launched its first asteroid sampling mission early on Thursday morning, aiming to explore a near-Earth small asteroid and retrieve its samples for scientists.

Carrying the Tianwen 2 robotic probe, a Long March 3B rocket blasted off at 1:31 am at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the middle of mountains in Sichuan province.

After flying for about 18 minutes, the rocket successfully deployed the Tianwen 2 into a transfer trajectory toward its destination, an asteroid called 2016 HO3.

The solar arrays of the probe then unfolded smoothly, marking the success of the launch phase, according to the China National Space Administration.

The CNSA stated that the Tianwen 2 mission is expected to achieve multiple objectives through a single expedition, including sample collection from 2016 HO3 and flyby exploration of main-belt comet 311P.

The administration said that mission planners aim to accomplish two major engineering goals through the Tianwen 2 project. The first is to develop and demonstrate key technologies needed for gathering sample from weak-gravity celestial bodies, conducting high-precision autonomous navigation and control, and other crucial maneuvers. The second is to obtain data and samples to facilitate studies on the origins and evolution of asteroids.

Scientifically, planners hope the spacecraft could measure multiple physical parameters of both 2016 HO3 and 311P, covering their size and shape, orbital traits, rotation patterns, and thermal radiation characteristics, allowing for research on their orbital dynamics. Researchers will also analyze their external features, material compositions, internal structures, and potential ejecta.

In the following year, the Tianwen 2 spacecraft, designed and built by the China Academy of Space Technology, is programmed to carry out several trajectory maneuvers to approach the 2016 HO3. After that, it is set to orbit the asteroid to perform remote observation and obtain data to enable scientists and ground controllers to analyze and determine suitable locations for the mission's most critical part: the sampling operation.

Following all preparations, the probe will approach the celestial body to gather samples.

If everything proceeds according to schedule, at the end of 2027, Tianwen 2 will fly back to Earth's orbit and release its reentry module, which will return to the ground with the samples.

After delivering the precious asteroid substances, the probe will utilize our planet's gravity as a slingshot to propel itself towards the comet 311P. It is expected to arrive at the comet several years later to conduct a detailed remote-sensing survey.

Once the samples are returned to Earth, they will be distributed to scientists for examination of their physical properties, chemical and mineralogical contents, and isotopic composition, contributing to studies on the formation and evolution of asteroids and the early solar system, according to CNSA.

2016 HO3, also known as 469219 Kamo'oalewa, was first spotted in April 2016 by an asteroid survey telescope at the Haleakala High Altitude Observatory in Hawaii.

The celestial body orbits the sun, remaining a constant companion of Earth. It is too distant to be considered a true satellite of Earth, but it stands as the best and most stable example to date of a quasi-satellite.

The analyses of 2016 HO3's reflectance spectrum and other physical characteristics have led to a hypothesis that this asteroid may be a boulder that was blasted off the surface of the moon following an impact with another space object.

China's initial excursion to an asteroid was a flyby of the ginger-shaped near-Earth asteroid named 4179 Toutatis in 2012, when the Chang'e 2 lunar orbiter made the pass as part of its extended mission.

Tianwen missions, named after an ancient Chinese poem, signify China's aspiration to explore other celestial bodies in the solar system beyond our moon.

The first in this series, Tianwen 1 was launched in July 2020, and it successfully touched down on Mars in May 2021. The probe deployed a rover named Zhurong to explore the Red Planet.

The next adventure, Tianwen 3, has been scheduled to be launched around 2028 to collect Martian samples and bring them back.

1 2 3 4 Next   >>|
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 91精品国产高清久久久久久91 | 欧美一级视频精品观看 | 国产欧美日韩一区二区三区 | 欧美日a| 精品午夜国产在线观看不卡 | 成人a视频| 欧美一级毛片久久精品 | 在线不卡一区二区 | 欧美成人看片一区二区三区尤物 | 国产一区二区三区免费观看 | 欧美性精品hd在线观看 | 99久久免费国产香蕉麻豆 | 99久久精品久久久 | 亚洲国产系列久久精品99人人 | 日本一级毛片视频无遮挡免费 | 成人精品一区二区三区中文字幕 | 日本三级一区二区三区 | 日韩欧美毛片免费看播放 | 久久夜色精品国产噜噜亚洲a | 思思91精品国产综合在线 | 久久www免费人成_看片高清 | 欧美国产亚洲一区 | 另类自拍 | 久久久久久久国产视频 | 亚洲欧美激情精品一区二区 | 中文字幕一区二区三区亚洲精品 | 国产成人精品日本亚洲语音2 | 亚洲更新 | 国产在线精品一区二区夜色 | 亚洲爱视频| 精品在线观看国产 | 新婚第一次一级毛片 | 久草福利资源 | 思思91精品国产综合在线 | 9191在线亚洲精品 | 欧美日韩一区二区三区在线 | 久热草在线 | 国产精品国产 | 手机看片国产免费 | 在线播放性xxx欧美 在线播放亚洲视频 | 精品亚洲欧美高清不卡高清 |