Long March 3B/E | Tianwen-2
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2)
Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
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China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.
Tianwen-2
Tianwen-2 is a planned Chinese asteroid sample return and comet orbiter mission due for launch in May 2025. The spacecraft will visit the Near Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3), collecting samples from its surface using both touch-and-go and anchor-and-drill approaches. It will return the samples back to Earth around 2.5 years after launch, with the main spacecraft proceeding to visit the main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the mid-2030s.
Long March 3B/E
Height 56.30 Meters
Max Stages 3
Mass To GTO 5500 kg
Liftoff Thrust 5924 kN
Diameter 3.35 Meters
Mass To LEO 12000 kg
Liftoff Mass 456 Tonnes
Launch Success 69
Consecutive Success 47
Maiden Flight 2007-05-13
Launch Failures 1
Updates
Cosmic_Penguin
2025-05-28T18:40:00+0000
Launch success.
Cosmic_Penguin
2025-05-28T17:34:00+0000
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin
2025-05-22T06:16:00+0000
Added launch window.
Cosmic_Penguin
2025-05-19T08:39:00+0000
NET May 28 UTC. (Launch pad is per https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/f8ojaDIp7LsRK8hPfpfLwg)
Cosmic_Penguin
2023-10-03T10:02:10+0000
Added launch.
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China Readies Tianwen-2 for Historic Asteroid Sample Return and Comet Study
2025-02-20T14:53:45+0000
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