China Deploys Spaceship to Harvest Asteroidal Material Close to Mars
China has embarked on an ambitious deep-space mission with the launch of the Tianwen-2 probe, aiming to collect samples from an asteroid near Mars and explore a distant comet. The spacecraft, which was launched early Thursday from southern China aboard a Long March 3-B rocket, is expected to bring groundbreaking discoveries and expand humanity's understanding of the cosmos.
The Tianwen-2 mission is a significant step in China's interplanetary exploration journey, as stated by Shan Zhongde, head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The spacecraft will focus on two objectives: collecting samples from the asteroid 2016HO3 and exploring the main-belt comet 311P, which lies farther from Earth than Mars.
The samples from 2016HO3 are expected to be returned to Earth in about two years. Asteroids with relatively stable orbits like 2016HO3 may offer clues about the formation of Earth, including the origins of water. China, which boasts a rapid growth in its space program over the past 20 years, has already made strides in space exploration with an unmanned Mars rover and a lunar explorer.
In addition to the Tianwen-2 mission, China aims to put a person on the moon before 2030 and has plans for a future Tianwen-4 Jupiter mission to explore Jupiter. However, any cooperation with the US hinges on the removal of an American law prohibiting direct bilateral cooperation with NASA.
China has demonstrated its capabilities in space exploration with the operation of the Tiangong space station, a three-person facility that serves as a major player in experiments conducted in space. The country's space program, controlled by the People's Liberation Army, has expanded rapidly since it first put a man in space in the early 21st century.
As China continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, the Tianwen-2 mission represents a significant step forward in deep-space robotic missions, aiming for landmark achievements in asteroid and comet science. While China remains committed to international cooperation in space exploration, obstacles like the existing American law may pose challenges in realizing this goal.
In this mission, the Tianwen-2 probe will employ various methods to achieve its objectives, including the remote sensing and surveying of asteroid 2016HO3 using a nano-orbiter and nano-lander, and collecting at least 100 grams of samples using both anchor-and-attach and touch-and-go methods. After returning the samples to Earth, the probe will perform a gravity assist maneuver to redirect toward main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS for further in-situ measurements and study. This ambitious mission profile underscores China’s growing role in deep-space robotic exploration.
The Tianwen-2 mission, equipped with advanced technology, focuses on science, particularly asteroid 2016HO3 and main-belt comet 311P, in a bid to expand humanity's understanding of space-and-astronomy. Post-sample retrieval, the probe plans to utilize a gravity assist maneuver to explore comet 311P, furthering China's contributions to deep-space robotic exploration.
