China's Tianwen-2 asteroid sample mission arrives at launch site

China's Tianwen-2 probe for asteroid exploration has arrived at the launch site at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the China National Space Administration said on Thursday.

The Tianwen-2 probe is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2025. It will collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid, 2016 HO3, and explore a comet, 311P, the agency said.

Currently, facilities at the launch site are in good condition, and preparatory work is underway as planned, the agency added.

Asteroid 2016 HO3, which remains stable near Earth's orbit, is known as Earth's quasi-satellite. It contains ancient materials from the early solar system, making it a "living fossil" useful for studying how the solar system formed and evolved.

Comet 311P orbits in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It displays features of both comets and asteroids. Studying it will help researchers learn more about the composition, structure and evolution of small space objects – filling gaps in our understanding of the solar system.