China aims to launch 2025 ‘Tianwen-2’ mission to explore near-Earth asteroids

HEFEI, April 24 (Xinhua) — Zhang Rongqiao, chief designer of China’s planetary exploration program and Tianwen-2 mission (Tianwen-2) said on Monday. Earth asteroids and comet exploration, Zhang said at a press conference on China’s Space Day. corresponding to April 24 that the main goal of the Tianwen-2 mission The mission is to send a probe to a near-Earth asteroid called “2016HO3” (2016HO3) to collect samples from the asteroid. This will be China’s first collection of samples from interstellar space. if successful adding that a spacecraft will be sent into orbit and land to collect samples on this asteroid The spacecraft in the above mission is expected to continue exploring comets in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. After completing the main mission