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China National The Space Administration’s Tianwen-2 asteroid probe landed successfully asteroid Kamo’oalewawhich revolves around the Sun in the same way as the Earth.
After several repositionings in deep space, it detected Kamo’oalewa for the first time on June 6, 2026. On July 2, it successfully captured images of Kamo’oalewa that had already been taken at a distance of about 20 kilometers. This achievement comes at the end of a 400-day journey covering a distance of about 1 billion kilometers.
Kamo’oalewa is the most stable of Earth’s known quasi-satellites, and because it orbits the Sun in the same way as Earth, it is considered the most accessible celestial body.
But climb to the top asteroid– don’t stop collecting samples – it will be difficult. Kamo’oala has a diameter of only about 41 meters and rotates very quickly. This means that the ship must communicate regularly and collect samples within a short period of time. If it succeeds in collecting samples, it will release them in a capsule during an Earth flyby in November 2027.
Tianwen-2 has multiple cameras with different focal lengths. In addition to switching between a narrow-view camera and a wide-angle camera depending on the situation, it also has a detachable camera that will be used for sample collection. Since the shape of the probe must be precisely adjusted for imaging, the use of limited access is a very difficult task. Tianwen-2 plans to provide detailed scientific information on Kamo’oalewa’s shape, composition, and structure.
If the mission is successful, it will mark another success in the return of the asteroid sample, following Japan Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 mission — the first to return asteroid samples to Earth — by NASA Osiris-REx work. Material from small objects orbiting near Earth may provide one of the few clues to understanding the structure of the sun, including Kamo’oalewa.
“It probably contains the oldest information from the early days of the formation of the planets around the sun, and it has great scientific value for studying the ancient records, structure, and evolutionary history,” explains Han Siyuan, deputy director of the Lunar and Space Exploration Engineering Center and spokesman for the Tianwen-2 project.
Researchers have previously suggested that Kamo’oalewa and a fragment of the Moon revealed and asteroid impact millions of years ago accepted by many until recently. This is because the light spectrum is very similar to the silicate minerals found on the surface of the Moon. Simulations also supported the theory.
However, in May, an international research group – including the Chinese Academy of Sciences – printed paper that casts doubt on these leading assumptions. Re-examination of the available data found that the middle wavelength of the absorption band-where light is weakened at a certain wavelength-similar to the characteristics of LL chondrites (a type of meteorite with low iron and metal content).
The research team conducted an experiment in which they irradiated LL chondrite meteorite powder with a laser to measure the heating of the atmosphere by the solar wind and micrometeorites. The results are very similar to what Kamo’oalewa saw. The researchers say the Kamo’oale may have migrated to Earth from the Flora family – a group of asteroids in the asteroid belt.
If Tianwen-2 successfully completes its sampling mission and returns to Earth, it could help answer questions about the origin of these Kamo’oales. But first, it must reach the surface of the asteroid.
This article appeared first WIRED Japan and translated from Japanese.
