Hey space fans! 🚀 This Thursday, China's groundbreaking Tianwen-2 mission is ready to blast off on a 9.5-year adventure. First up, it’s heading to asteroid 2016 HO3 – a cool "quasi-satellite" of Earth that's like a cosmic time capsule preserving ancient solar system secrets. Scientists are excited about the chance to snag samples from this living fossil of our early planetary days.
Once the sample-return phase wraps up, the mission will zoom over to main-belt comet 311P, which hangs out between Mars and Jupiter. With features of both asteroids and comets, 311P is expected to fill in some big blanks about the structure and evolution of these mysterious space wanderers.
All pre-launch checks are going smoothly at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China. Stay tuned for what promises to be a stellar blend of cutting-edge tech and cosmic history! 🌌
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
