China’s spacecraft just took a selfie on its way to a moon that we’re not actually supposed to have.
The Tianwen-2 is on a mission to explore and take samples, with pieces of an asteroid at stake.
It launched last month and is expected to reach its destination by mid-2026.
For now, though, an exciting new picture has been released.
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Space exploration is an area that is constantly evolving.
From NASA taking charge to small startups getting in on the action too, the opportunities really are endless.
For example, the world’s first commercial space station is set to launch next year – Vast Haven-1.
Plus, space supposedly smells so weird that some scientists are actually turning it into high-tech fragrances.
When it comes to exploring space, though, there is only so much that humans can do themselves, which is where clever technology comes in.
Enter the Tianwen-2 probe, which will hopefully report back with some very exciting information.
The probe set off on a long journey deep into outer space to explore asteroids and collect samples.
The main mission? Collect samples from an asteroid called Kamo’oalewa.
The asteroid is actually otherwise known as a ‘quasi-moon’. It appears to orbit our planet, but it’s also circling the sun at the same time.
Now, there’s a new update from the spacecraft that’s making its way through outer space.
“As of the morning of June 6, the Tianwen-2 probe has been in orbit for more than 8 days, more than 3 million kilometers away from the Earth, and in good working condition.
China National Space Administration
“In order to meet the power supply needs of exploring the main belt comet about 375 million kilometers from the sun, the Tianwen-2 probe has developed and configured circular flexible solar panels.
“The National Space Administration also released a picture of the circular solar panels deployed, which was sent back by the Tianwen-2 probe,” the China National Space Administration said in a release.
And the release came with a selfie taken by the probe.
The spacecraft is projected to reach the asteroid in July next year. It’ll collect samples so scientists can find out even more about the universe beyond planet Earth.
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