Current Affairs - Technology - Discussion

China is preparing to launch its Tianwen-2 mission, a highly advanced asteroid sample-return operation targeting the near-Earth quasi-satellite 469219 Kamo‘oalewa. This mission represents a significant leap in China's space exploration efforts, placing it alongside the United States and Japan—nations that have previously returned asteroid material to Earth. The mission will use innovative techniques such as touch-and-go and anchor-and-attach methods to collect samples. Kamo‘oalewa is a rare quasi-satellite with a unique orbit and is believed to possibly contain lunar material, offering a valuable opportunity to understand more about the Moon's history and the dynamics of near-Earth objects.