The Chinese interplanetary probe Tianwen 2 launched on May 28, 2025, from Xichang with a CZ-3B rocket, marking China’s fourth asteroid sample-return mission following Japan’s Hayabusa and the US OSIRIS-REx. After 125 days in space, the mission remains in perfect health. Despite this, surprisingly little imagery of the complete spacecraft has been publicly released, contrasting common practices in space exploration. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has shared limited photos: from partial views of the spacecraft’s decagonal solar panels to quality images of Earth and the Moon taken shortly after launch. On October 1, a new image revealed the return capsule, one of the ion engines, and a prominently displayed Chinese flag. The spacecraft uses a robotic arm, built by CAST’s 5th Academy, which serves both sample collection and imaging functions, though details about cameras remain undisclosed. This robotic arm and the landing system on asteroid Kamo’oalewa may relate to the mission’s secrecy, possibly influenced by technology from classified satellite programs. The Tianwen 2’s capsule design differs from previous Chinese lunar return capsules by employing a direct ballistic reentry at near-escape velocity. Currently, the spacecraft is about 43 million kilometers from Earth en route to the asteroid 469219 Kamo’oalewa, expected to arrive in 2026. The return capsule should land in Inner Mongolia in 2027 with asteroid samples. Later, the probe will continue to comet-asteroid 311P/Elst-Pizarro, targetting a 2035 arrival. The first deep-space maneuver using the main chemical engine is scheduled for October 30, 2025.
Original title: Tianwen 2: 125 días en el espacio de la sonda china más secreta
The AI system has determined that this news is not clickbait/sensationalist: The original title straightforwardly describes the content without exaggeration or sensationalism, focusing on the probe's time in space and its secrecy. This has coincided with the opinion of the majority of users.
