China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft to sample Earth's 'mini-moon' asteroid Kamoʻoalewa, which may be a lunar fragment
By
Jamie Carter
Summary
China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft is set to arrive at Kamoʻoalewa, a near-Earth asteroid roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty that is often called Earth's "mini-moon." The mission aims to collect samples from the asteroid and return them to Earth in a capsule. Scientists are particularly interested in Kamoʻoalewa because spectral analysis suggests it may be a fragment of the Moon, as its reflected light closely resembles lunar rocks from the Apollo missions. If confirmed, this would make it the first known lunar fragment to orbit the Sun as an asteroid.
Source
bskyChina's Tianwen-2 spacecraft to sample Earth's 'mini-moon' asteroid Kamoʻoalewa, which may be a lunar fragmentforbes.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledChina is about to begin one of the most unusual asteroid exploration missions ever attempted.
Planetary scientists are interested in Kamoʻoalewa because it may not be an ordinary asteroid.
Studies of the light reflected from it suggest that it closely resembles lunar rocks collected during the Apollo missions.
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