The Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed on July 6, 2025, that its Tianwen-2 probe entered orbit around the asteroid Kamo'oalewa on June 7, 2025. The agency also released an image of the asteroid captured by the probe from a distance of approximately 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) on July 6.

Tianwen-2 launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center on May 28, 2025, on board a Long March 3B rocket. The journey to the asteroid covered more than 600,000 miles (1 million kilometers).

Kamo'oalewa, also known as 2016 HO3, is classified as a quasi-satellite that circles the sun alongside Earth. Initial readings from the mission suggest that Kamo'oalewa is a rubble-pile asteroid. The South China Morning Post reported that the released image suggests the asteroid is approximately 130 feet (40 meters) across. There are currently seven other known quasi-moons that co-orbit the sun with Earth.

CNSA representatives stated in a report that the asteroid's characteristics increase the complexity and risk of the sampling process. CNSA officials also wrote that the probe will conduct detailed scientific exploration to acquire data on the asteroid's morphology, material composition, and internal structure.

If the mission is successful, the Tianwen-2 probe will release samples in a capsule during a flyby of Earth scheduled for November 2027. The sample capsule is projected to reenter Earth's atmosphere at approximately 27,000 mph (43,500 km/h). Japan returned samples from the asteroid Ryugu in 2020, and the U.S. acquired material from the asteroid Bennu in 2023.