08/07/2026 16:18 - Tecnologia
Space exploration continues to gift us extraordinary moments. The Tianwen-2 probe, from the China National Space Administration (CNSA), recently reached the vicinity of asteroid 2016HO3, also known as Kamoʻoalewa. This celestial body is considered a 'minimoon' or quasi-satellite of Earth.
Launched on May 29, 2025 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the spacecraft has traveled approximately 1 billion kilometers over nearly 400 days of flight. Finally, on July 2, 2026, the probe positioned itself just 20 kilometers away from the asteroid, close enough to capture its first unseen image with a level of detail never witnessed before, as reported by Infobae and Clarín.
The name of this asteroid comes from a Hawaiian chant that designates an 'oscillating object in the sky'. With an estimated diameter of between 40 and 100 meters, it could be the smallest asteroid ever visited by a human spacecraft.
Although its primary orbit is around the Sun, Kamoʻoalewa borders our planet in an elliptical trajectory every 45 years, granting it the rare category of a quasi-satellite. In fact, it is one of only seven known to orbit Earth in this manner. It belongs to the Apollo class of asteroids, and its proximity to our planet has sparked enormous scientific curiosity.
| Date | Tianwen-2 Milestone |
|---|---|
| 05/29/2025 | Launch from China |
| 06/06/2026 | First optical detection of the asteroid |
| 06/07/2026 | Capture maneuver at 30,000 km |
| 06/19/2026 | Approaches to 2,000 km from the target |
| 07/02/2026 | Imaging from just 20 km away |
| Late 2027 | Planned return of samples |
Tianwen-2 is China's first mission aimed at collecting asteroid samples and returning them to Earth. During its stay of approximately nine months at Kamoʻoalewa, it will conduct detailed observations of the rock's shape, composition, and internal structure to prepare for sample collection.
But the adventure does not end there. After dropping its sample capsule from the 'minimoon' during an Earth flyby in late 2027, Tianwen-2 will continue its journey towards Comet 311P, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This comet stands out for its strange six-pointed dust tail, a mystery researchers are eager to solve.
This achievement strengthens China's growing space program, which already includes the Tiangong space station, the Chang'e lunar program, the Tianwen-1 Mars mission, and preparations for a crewed moon landing before 2030. A giant leap for humanity and science!
Alfredo S. Quiroga
