China's Tianwen-2 returns 1st close photo of tiny quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa
China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft has sent back the first-ever close-up photo of Kamo'oalewa, a tiny quasi-moon that accompanies Earth in its orbit around the Sun.
The shot, taken from just 20km away, shows the asteroid is about 40 meters wide, smaller than scientists thought.
After launching in May 2025, Tianwen-2 reached Kamo'oalewa in June 2026, wrapping up a 1 million-kilometer space journey in just under 400 days.
Tianwen-2 aims sample return late 2027
Tianwen-2's big goal is to grab samples from Kamo'oalewa and bring them home by late 2027, a tricky job since the asteroid spins fast and doesn't have smooth spots for landing.
Scientists are watching closely and brainstorming new ways to collect material.
Because Kamo'oalewa is made of loose rubble instead of solid rock, studying it could reveal secrets about how our solar system formed or even prove it's a chunk knocked off the Moon long ago.