China launched its ambitious Tianwen-2 mission, aiming to study two unique celestial bodies: asteroid Kamoʻoalewa, potentially a piece of the moon, and main-belt comet 311P/Pan-STARRS. The mission will first collect samples from Kamoʻoalewa, the smallest asteroid ever visited, before traveling to 311P/Pan-STARRS for a flyby. This unprecedented mission will provide invaluable data on these previously little-understood objects, advancing our knowledge of the solar system and potentially revealing insights into asteroid impacts on Earth.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.