Chinas Tianwen-2 Mission Has Probably Arrived at a Quasi-Moon of Earth
Summary: The Planetary Society reported on June 25 that Chinas Tianwen-2 probe has probably arrived at quasi-moon Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3) to begin months of fly-along observation and sampling, with sample return planned for November 2027.
Writing for The Planetary Society, science editor Asa Stahl reported on June 24 that China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft appears to have successfully rendezvoused with the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa (formally 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, provisional designation 2016 HO3) on June 7, 2026. The mission, operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), represents China's second asteroid sample return effort and the first spacecraft visit to this particular object.
Kamoʻoalewa is a quasi-moon of Earth — an asteroid whose orbit is resonant with Earth's, making it appear to perpetually hover nearby from our planet's perspective. The object was discovered by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy and holds the distinction of being the first Hawaiian-named body visited by a spacecraft. Its origin remains debated: some researchers have suggested it may be a fragment of the Moon, a hypothesis that direct sampling could help confirm or refute.
Tianwen-2 launched on May 29, 2025, and is expected to spend roughly seven months near Kamoʻoalewa conducting fly-along observations and collecting samples. The mission plan calls for two sampling methods — a touch-and-go maneuver and a hovering collection technique — before returning the samples to Earth by late 2027. Following the asteroid phase, Tianwen-2 will use a gravitational slingshot to set course for main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS, with arrival expected around 2035.