Tianwen-2 took photos of the Earth and the Moon
Tianwen-2 report: working condition is good, data is smooth! 12 million kilometers of deep space gaze, measuring 104 years of galaxy journey; 590,000 kilometers of looking back, carrying the firm gaze of human exploration of deep space
On 2025 July 1, the CNSA China National Space Administration released images of the Earth and the Moon taken by the Tianwen-2 probe of the planetary exploration project. At present, the Tianwen-2 probe has been in orbit for more than 33 days, with a distance of more than 12 million kilometers from the Earth, and is in good working condition.
Recently, the narrow field of view navigation sensor configured by the Tianwen-2 probe has imaged the Earth and the Moon respectively, showing good functional performance. The images released this time include images of the Earth taken when the distance between the probe and the Earth was about 590,000 kilometers and images of the Moon taken when the distance between the probe and the Moon was about 590,000 kilometers. After being transmitted back to the ground, they were processed and produced by scientific researchers. Tianwen-2 Asteroid Probe
Figure 1: This color image of the Earth was taken by the narrow field of view navigation sensor of the Tianwen-2 probe at 13:00 on May 30, 2025, and was produced after radiation correction, red, green and blue (558-631nm, 500-573nm, 434-477nm) three-band image registration and color synthesis processing. Image 2: This full-color image of the moon was taken by the narrow-field navigation sensor of the Tianwen-2 probe at 15:00 on May 30, 2025, and was produced
after radiation correction. …
On the 29th May 2025 pre launch CNSA _China National Space Administration -China – People’s Republic of China Hong Kong –Beijing Time China- People’s Republic of China…. at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province of the Xichang Launch Center, the Long March 3B carrier rocket was According to the National Space Administration ] At 1:31 a.m. on May 29, the Long March 3B carrier rocket ignited and took off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, carrying the Tianwen-2 probe of the asteroid exploration project to the sky. China’s first asteroid exploration and sampling return journey has successfully begun! The Tianwen-2 mission plans to explore, sample and return the asteroid 2016HO3, and then conduct scientific exploration of the main-belt comet 311P
The main mission of Tianwen-2 is to explore, sample and return asteroid 2016HO3 to Earth, and then conduct scientific exploration of main-belt comet 311P. Asteroid 2016HO3 is one of the quasi-satellites of Earth discovered by humans. The engineering objectives of Tianwen-2 are to break through a series of key technologies such as surface sampling of weak-gravity celestial bodies, high-precision relatively autonomous navigation and control, and small-thrust transfer orbit design; and to provide exploration data and precious samples for cutting-edge scientific research such as the origin and evolution of asteroids. The scientific objectives focus on determining multiple physical parameters of asteroids and main-belt comets. First, determine the orbital parameters, rotation parameters, shape and size, thermal radiation characteristics and other physical parameters of asteroids and main-belt comets, and conduct orbital dynamics research; second, conduct research on the morphology, material composition, internal structure and possible ejecta of asteroids and main-belt comets; third, conduct laboratory analysis of samples, determine the physical properties, chemical and mineral composition, isotopic composition and structural structure of samples, and conduct research on the formation and evolution of asteroids and the early solar system.
The successful launch mission is only the “first step” of the long exploration process of the Tianwen-2 mission. The Tianwen-2 mission is technically difficult and has high engineering risks. It includes 13 flight phases, including the launch phase, asteroid transfer phase, asteroid approach phase, asteroid rendezvous phase, asteroid close-range exploration phase, asteroid sampling phase, return waiting phase, return transfer phase, reentry recovery phase, main-belt comet transfer phase, main-belt comet approach phase, main-belt comet rendezvous phase, and main-belt comet close-range exploration phase. Among them, asteroid exploration and sampling return include 9 phases. After the launch phase is successfully completed, the probe enters the asteroid transfer phase. This phase will last for about 1 year, during which deep space maneuvers and mid-course corrections will be required until it is about 30,000 kilometers away from the asteroid. It will then enter the asteroid approach phase, rendezvous phase, and close-range exploration phase in turn. In the close-range exploration phase, according to the principle of “flying and exploring, gradually approaching”, hovering and active flyby will be carried out on the asteroid, and the sampling phase will be entered after the sampling area is determined. After completing the sampling mission, the probe will go through the return waiting phase and the return transfer phase. During the return transfer phase, the return capsule will separate from the main probe as it approaches the Earth, and then enter the reentry recovery phase alone. It is expected to land on Earth and complete recovery by the end of 2027. After that, the main probe will continue to fly to the main belt comet 311P to carry out subsequent exploration missions.
The probe is equipped with 11 scientific instruments, including a medium-field color camera, a multispectral camera, a visible infrared imaging spectrometer, a thermal radiation spectrometer, a detection radar, a magnetometer, a charged particle and neutral particle analyzer, an ejecta analyzer, a narrow-field navigation sensor, a laser integrated navigation sensor, and a rotational diffraction hyperspectral camera. These advanced instruments will help the probe detect asteroids and main-belt comets during flight and obtain scientific data.
Shan Zhongde, chief commander of the Tianwen-2 mission command of the planetary exploration project and director of the National Space Administration, said that the National Space Administration has thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions and instructions on building a space power, and has taken the lead in implementing the Tianwen-2 mission, promoting the continuation of the interstellar exploration journey and taking a new step in deep space exploration. The mission implementation cycle is long and the risks and difficulties are high. The project has overcome difficulties and worked together to ensure the successful launch of the mission. It is expected that Tianwen-2 will complete various exploration tasks as planned, achieve more original scientific results, uncover more mysteries of the universe, and enhance human cognition.
The Tianwen-2 mission consists of five major systems: the overall project and the probe, launch vehicle, launch and recovery, measurement and control, and ground application. The Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center of the National Space Administration is responsible for the overall project work and the overall design and implementation management of the mission; the Space Technology Research Institute of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is responsible for the development of the probe system; the Launch Vehicle Technology Research Institute of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is responsible for the development of the launch vehicle system; and the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is responsible for the ground application system.
This mission is the 578th launch of the Long March series of carrier rockets. The Long March 3B carrier rocket that carried out the launch mission is the main rocket for China’s high-orbit launches and the rocket with the most launches in China’s aerospace industry. It has completed 108 launches before and has carried out lunar exploration missions such as Chang’e 3 and Chang’e 4. In order to ensure that the “Long March 3B rocket is reliable, accurate, and on time” and to run the “first leg” of the Tianwen-2 mission well, the designers completed multiple rounds of design iterations in 2 years, while meeting the constraints of all parties and achieving a perfect “handover” between the rocket and the probe. (Li Yi, Cai Jinman, Zhang Wei )
System composition Overall Design
The Tianwen-2 probe consists of a main probe and a return capsule. The main power supply system of the main probe is a uniquely constructed circular flexible solar wing that resembles a large umbrella. Researchers chose this special configuration of “protective umbrella” to reduce the risk of traditional solar wings touching the ground during the probe’s soft landing. Tianwen-2 adopts a double-wing structure, with a single wing area of 17 square meters. One of the reasons why it carries such a large solar wing is that the mission goal is ambitious. After Tianwen-2 completes the asteroid sampling and return mission, the main probe is likely to continue to fly into deep space. During this process, the amount of sunlight obtained will become less and less, so the solar wing needs to be specially enlarged.
Solar panels are truly “protective umbrellas” that continuously convert solar energy into electricity for continuous use by spacecraft during deep space exploration. As we all know, a large amount of uninterrupted solar energy diffuses in the space environment, just like WiFi wireless chargers, which are most popular with spacecraft. Since a single solar cell generally cannot meet the demand, a power generation device composed of solar cells and related structures connected in series or parallel is a solar cell array, which is like a “nutritionist” for spacecraft, constantly “cooking” solar energy into a “nutritional meal” that can be directly absorbed by various devices
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration
