China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft arrives at asteroid Kamoʻoalewa after 13-month journey

China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft arrived at asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa on July 4, 2026, and will spend the next nine months mapping the surface before attempting to collect and return samples. The spacecraft reached the target after just over 13 months of interplanetary travel that began with its launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on May 28, 2025.

Kamoʻoalewa, discovered in 2016, measures between 130 and 330 feet across.

It is a quasi-satellite that orbits the Sun in sync with Earth’s orbit and ranks as one of seven known objects of this type, according to The Planetary Society. ” Tianwen-2 will spend roughly nine months orbiting the asteroid to map its surface and select a sampling site. The spacecraft carries a touch-and-go system and an anchor-and-attach mechanism with drills.

Scientists aim to return at least 100 grams of material to Earth. The probe is scheduled to depart Kamoʻoalewa in April 2027 and release a return capsule that could land on Earth in November 2027. After the sample delivery, Tianwen-2 will perform a gravity-assist maneuver to reach comet 311P/PANSTARRS, with arrival expected in January 2035.

The Tianwen series includes prior missions. Tianwen-1 landed on Mars on May 15, 2021, and deployed the Zhurong rover, making China the second nation to operate a spacecraft on the planet. Tianwen-3 is planned for launch in 2028 to collect Mars samples, with return targeted for 2031.

Tianwen-4 is set for 2030 to orbit Jupiter’s moon Callisto and conduct a Uranus flyby.