![[AUTO] Long March 3B/E | ChinaSat 26 - image](/media?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthespacedevs-prod.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2Flong2520march_image_20230907120240.jpeg&w=1600)
China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 3B/ELaunch Complex 2 (LC-2), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Tianwen-2
Launched
May 28, 2025 · 17:31 UTC
Image: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Summary
Tianwen-2 launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 3B/E from Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on May 28, 2025 at 17:31 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:22 to 17:44 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 525th launch, 24th this year and humanity's 6,967th orbital launch attempt. It was the 70th Long March 3B/E flight and the 8th this year. The payload was bound for Asteroid (Asteroid). Tianwen-2, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 271 × 284 km orbit inclined 28.9°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Planetary Science · Asteroid (Asteroid)
- Milestone
- 70th Long March 3B/E flight · 8th this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 525th launch24th this yearhumanity's 6,967th orbital launch attempt118th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Tianwen-2 · NORAD 64197 · 2025-114 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TIANWEN-2
- Object ID
- 2025-114A
- Epoch
- 2025-05-28 17:31:31 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.01555694 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.001
- Inclination
- 28.8798°
- Ascending node
- 146.7974°
- Arg. of perigee
- 102.8623°
- Mean anomaly
- 0.5°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: Asteroid. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage
- Tianwen-2 · NORAD 64197 · left Earth orbit May 29, 2025
CZ-3B Y110 Stage 3 · left Earth orbit May 29, 2025
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
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.
News
There were not one, but two asteroid encounters this weekendThe Torifune asteroid turns out to be shaped like a peanut.
Tianwen-2 arrives at asteroid Kamo’oalewa, first image revealedHELSINKI — China’s Tianwen-2 sample return spacecraft has arrived at Kamoʻoalewa, revealing the near Earth asteroid to be a small, elongated rocky body. Tianwen-2 launched May 29, 2025, and traveled […]
Tianwen-2 makes series of burns on approach to asteroid, according to radio trackingChina’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft has carried out a series of small propulsive maneuvers following a main burn June 7, setting up an asteroid rendezvous in July.
China successfully debuts tallest rocket, LandSpace prepares for second landing attemptChina kicked off a busy month with three missions for a single internet constellation in…
Pad
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
119th launch from Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), 5th this year · 226th from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: May 29, 1:31 AM GMT+8, at night
126 launches from this pad · 242 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
31 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Questions
When did Tianwen-2 launch?
Tianwen-2 launched on May 28, 2025 at 17:31 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:22 to 17:44 UTC.
Where can I watch Tianwen-2?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Tianwen-2?
Long March 3B/E, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 3B/E spec sheet
Where did Tianwen-2 launch from?
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was May 29, 1:31 AM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Tianwen-2 reach?
Tianwen-2, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 271 × 284 km orbit inclined 28.9°.
How many satellites did Tianwen-2 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).