🚀 Chinese probe Tianwen-2 arrives at a quasi-moon of Earth

A space rock that orbits Earth without being a true satellite: Kamo'oalewa is an asteroid that might be a fragment of our Moon. The Chinese Tianwen-2 mission has just reached it to reveal its true nature.

The Tianwen-2 probe, launched in late May 2025, has traveled millions of miles (millions of kilometers) to reach this object, discovered in 2016. Scientists hope to collect samples from its surface and bring them back to Earth by 2027. A delicate task, as the very nature of Kamo'oalewa remains unknown.


Unlike the Moon, Kamo'oalewa is not gravitationally bound to our planet. It is a quasi-moon, a temporary companion that has been accompanying us for at least a hundred years. Its rapid rotation, once every thirty minutes, makes it one of the strangest nearby celestial objects.

To collect samples, Tianwen-2 has two techniques. If the asteroid is a rubble pile, it will brush its surface as OSIRIS-REx or Hayabusa2 did. On the other hand, if it is a solid rock, the probe will attempt to land and drill, a world first.

The main mystery concerns the origin of Kamo'oalewa. In 2021, observations showed that it reflects light like the Moon. Researchers even identified the lunar crater Giordano Bruno as a likely source. But only sample analysis will decide.


The samples could also reveal information about Earth's water or the formation of organic molecules. This data could also help understand how life emerged. This mission perfectly showcases China's space ambitions: the ability to collect samples from an asteroid is a step toward farther journeys, perhaps to Mars.