Milestone: China Just Arrived at a Mysterious Near-Earth Asteroid!!

China’s Tianwen-2 probe has reached asteroid 2016 HO3, also known as Kamoʻoalewa, after an incredible journey of about 400 days and nearly 1 billion kilometers through deep space. The spacecraft is now close enough to begin detailed scientific exploration from roughly 20 kilometers away. This mission is especially exciting because 2016 HO3 is one of Earth’s rare quasi-moons, meaning it follows a unique orbit near our planet while still moving around the Sun. Tianwen-2 will study the asteroid’s shape, surface, composition, and internal structure before preparing for sample collection. If successful, this mission could help scientists understand whether this mysterious object has a possible lunar connection, how near-Earth asteroids evolve, and what clues small bodies can preserve from the early solar system.