China's Tianwen-2 probe has reached within 20 kilometers of the asteroid 2016HO3 and begun scientific exploration, the China National Space Administration announced on July 6. The probe completed a roughly 400-day, 1-billion-kilometer journey after launching from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on May 29, 2025. During its approach, the mission team used optical navigation data to refine the asteroid's orbit, reducing its positional uncertainty from hundreds of kilometers to just a few. The probe will next conduct more detailed observations of the asteroid's shape, composition and internal structure, laying the groundwork for future sample collection.