Taiwan, Taiwan (AP) — China has initiated a mission with a spacecraft designed to return samples from an asteroid located near Mars, promising to “uncover groundbreaking insights and broaden human understanding of space.”
The Tianwen-2 probe was launched early on Thursday, embarking on a long journey from southern China set to reach its destination by March 3rd. As per the National Space Agency of China, the probe aims to gather samples from Asteroid 2016HO3 and investigate the main belt comet 311p, which is farther from Earth than Mars.
Shan Zhongde, the head of CNSA, stated that the Tianwen-2 mission marks “a pivotal step in China’s new venture into interplanetary exploration.”
The 2016HO3 samples are anticipated to be returned in approximately two years. Asteroids have been selected for their relatively stable orbits, which are expected to yield insights into Earth’s formation, including the origins of water.
Previously, China successfully returned rock samples from the moon to Earth with a historic mission and is open to international collaboration. However, cooperation with the US hinges on the repeal of US laws that prevent direct bilateral collaboration with NASA.
While the moon is visible from Earth, the vastness of space poses a formidable challenge. It is also known for its mountains and impact craters, which are much more difficult to access.
China operates a three-person space station, Tiangong, or “The Palace of Heaven,” particularly after being excluded from the International Space Station due to US national security concerns. This marks a new era in space exploration and the continuous use of space stations for conducting experiments.
The People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of the ruling Communist Party, manages China’s space program.
Over the past 20 years, China’s space program has rapidly advanced since its first manned space flight. It has seen the successful landing of an unmanned explorer on Mars and a rover on the far side of the moon, with ambitions to send humans to the moon before 2030.
Future plans include the Tianwen-4 mission to explore Jupiter, although specific details have yet to be disclosed.
Source: apnews.com