Tag: asteroid

Fragments of impactor residues identified in the lunar soil of Chang'e-6 in this study. Photo courtesy of the scientific research team of the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

China: Scientists Discover Rare Meteorite Relics in Chang’e-6 Far-Side Lunar Samples! (21.10.2025)

Using advanced techniques to examine mineral composition and oxygen isotopes, the researchers scrutinized lunar soil and confirmed that the fragments came from CI-like chondrites — a type of meteorite rich in water and organic materials that typically originates in the outer Solar System.

The study implies that the Earth-Moon system may have experienced more collisions from carbonaceous chondrites than scientists had previously estimated.

This discovery not only indicates that material from the outer Solar System can migrate to the inner Solar System, but also has important implications for explaining the origin of water on the lunar surface, said Lin Mang, a researcher at GIG.

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Images of Earth and the moon captured by the Tianwen 2 robotic probe are released on Tuesday by the China National Space Administration.

China: Tianwen 2 Sends Back Images of Earth & Moon! (2.7.2025)

The samples will be distributed among scientists, who will examine their physical properties, chemical and mineralogical content and isotopic composition, contributing to studies on the formation and evolution of asteroids and the early solar system.

Delivering the samples to Earth will not be the end of the mission. The Tianwen 2 spacecraft will then enter the second phase of its journey, flying toward a main-belt comet called 311P to conduct a remote-sensing survey and transmit the data back to Earth for scientific research, according to the CNSA.

The whole mission is expected to yield ground-breaking discoveries and expand the understanding of Earth and small celestial bodies inside the solar system, scientists said.

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Carrying the Tianwen 2 robotic probe, a Long March 3B rocket blasted off at 1:31 am at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the middle of mountains in Sichuan province.

China: First “Asteroid Sampling” [Tianwen II (天问二) “Divine-Sky Exploration II”] Mission Launched! (29.5.2025)

The administration said that mission planners aim to accomplish two major engineering goals through the Tianwen 2 project. The first is to develop and demonstrate key technologies needed for gathering sample from weak-gravity celestial bodies, conducting high-precision autonomous navigation and control, and other crucial manoeuvres. The second is to obtain data and samples to facilitate studies on the origins and evolution of asteroids.

Scientifically, planners hope the spacecraft could measure multiple physical parameters of both 2016 HO3 and 311P, covering their size and shape, orbital traits, rotation patterns, and thermal radiation characteristics, allowing for research on their orbital dynamics. Researchers will also analyse their external features, material compositions, internal structures, and potential ejecta.

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