China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft launched on May 28 on a landmark asteroid sample return mission, aiming first to explore the near-Earth asteroid Kamo’oalewa before returning to Earth orbit and eventually ...

The first, called “touch-and-go,” was used by Japan’s Hayabusa-2 spacecraft at asteroid Ryugu in 2018 and by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx at asteroid Bennu in 2020.

Imagine giant space rocks zooming through the universe, but instead of following the usual cosmic rules, they do their own thing. That’s exactly what scientists ...

“They didn’t expect that comet to look that complex. We have to get ready for the unknown.” The OSIRIS-REx mission to an asteroid named Bennu will have more time to pick a landing site.

Scientists stress more testing is needed to better understand the Bennu samples, as well as more asteroid and comet sample returns. China plans to launch an asteroid sample return mission this year.

Asteroid Bennu seems to have come from a long-lost world on the fringes of the solar system, where saltwater pooled and dried over thousands of years and life’s basic ingredients were widespread.

Scientists stress more testing is needed to better understand the Bennu samples, as well as more asteroid and comet sample returns. China plans to launch an asteroid sample return mission this year.

Scientists stress more testing is needed to better understand the Bennu samples, as well as more asteroid and comet sample returns. China plans to launch an asteroid sample return mission this year.