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China's Tianwen-2 asteroid hunter finds target is smaller than expected

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] ·

China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft is nearing its target asteroid, 2016 HO3 (also known as 469219 Kamo‘oalewa), after a 400-day journey. Initial images suggest the asteroid is smaller than previously estimated, with a diameter likely between 20 to 30 meters, rather than the earlier prediction of around 57 meters. The spacecraft is equipped with diverse sampling modes to navigate the asteroid's uncertain terrain. AI

RANK_REASON Space mission research update with new observational data. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=0.1]

Read on SCMP — Tech →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

China's Tianwen-2 asteroid hunter finds target is smaller than expected

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Space mission research update with new observational data. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=0.1]
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COVERAGE [1]

  1. SCMP — Tech TIER_1 English(EN) · Dannie Peng ·

    China’s asteroid hunter closes in on target after 400-day trip, though size is a surprise

    China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft has captured its first close-up image of a near-Earth asteroid, revealing that the target is even smaller than anticipated – a factor scientists say will make the sample-return task “far more difficult” than previous Japanese and American missions. Th…

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