Tianwen-2 Set to Launch May 29 to Sample Asteroid Kamo’oalewa, Study Comet 311/P PanSTARRS

The first asteroid sample return / comet orbiter mission from China, Tianwen-2, is set to launch early May 29 aboard a Long March 3B from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The craft will aim to gather 100 grams of samples via anchoring-drilling, hover-sampling and touch-and-go techniques from near-Earth asteroid (2016 HO3) 469219 Kamoʻoalewa “celestial fragment that oscillates”. Kamo’oalewa orbits the Sun alongside Earth, is considered a quasi-satellite and may be a fragment of the Moon—possibly originating from the impact that created the Giordano Bruno crater on the far side. Tianwen-2 is planned to arrive at Kamo’oalewa on July 4, 2026 and depart on April 24, 2027. The sample return craft portion will return to Earth in November 2027, providing scientists with valuable insights into the asteroid’s composition and the early Solar System. Tianwen-2 itself will continue its journey, flying by Earth and then taking 6 years to reach the Main Asteroid Belt, where it will then study the periodic comet 311/P PanSTARRS starting January 24, 2035 for at least a full year. These studies may also contribute understandings for planetary defense. Long term, the Tianwen deep space program already has missions planned for Mars sample return, Jupiter / Calisto and Uranus. Naturally, Kuiper Belt and Interstellar planning will follow. (Image credits: CNSA, CGNTV, Xinhua)

MONDAY

☆ May 26 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 73 to remain seven-member crew through this week while looking forward to Axiom 4 visitors in early June; working with Cardiobreath and Bio-Monitor experiments during exercise cycles, Plasma Crystal-4 space physics study, 24-hr heart & blood pressure sensors, and monitoring genetically-engineered dwarf tomato plants.

☆ May 26 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 20 three-member crew inspect additional externally mounted space debris protection equipment after performing 8-hr EVA, first of at least 2 spacewalks planned for this mission; new analysis of swabs taken from TSS cabins during Shenzhou 15 (2023) mission shows new strain of bacteria named Niallia tiangongensis.

o May 26-30 — Canadian Space Agency, Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada: SpaceOps 2025: Toward Space Sustainability; exploring aspects of space mission operations, including human and robotic missions.

● May 26-30 — Space Center Houston, Houston TX: Space U (Ages 11-14) and Mission Control Space U (Ages 15-18); learning opportunities tied to NASA missions including space habitats, thermal protection systems, rocketry, robotics; US$720-$960.

☾ May 26 — Moon: 4.7° NNW of Uranus, 04:00; n 0.66° NNE of Pleiades, 09:00; 4.7° N of Mercury, 11:00; New Moon, 17:03.

H2M2 Summit Advocating Humans to the Moon & Mars: Peacefully, Responsibly, Sustainably 

The 2025 Humans to the Moon & Mars Summit (H2M2), May 28-29, promotes a sustainable and enduring human presence on the Moon in the 2020s and Mars in the 2030s. Explore Mars Inc. is organizer and CEO Chris Carberry says humanity needs to work together to reach these goals. He will sign his books The Music of Space and Alcohol In Space, and former NASA Chief Scientist James Green will sign Mars: Photographs from NASA Archives. Both also will speak, as will ~11 others from NASA including HQ Acting Associate Administrator Vanessa Wyche and Bhavya Lal. Other speakers include Mike Gold (Redwire), Shawna Pandya (IIAS Space Medicine), Dave Limp (Blue Origin), Tariq Malik (Space.com), Scott Pace (Space Policy Institute) and Janet Ivey (Janet’s Planet). Important foci cover:  The commercial sector; Technical hurdles; What skills are needed; How the ensuing R&D can benefit Earth. Networking, tours, Congressional lobbying and STEM workshops are planned. H2M2 fosters collaboration between government and private sector for unified strategy towards a sustainable future in space for all. A reception acknowledges signing of The Washington Compact set of principles compiled by The Hague Institute for Global Justice, to guide commercial space operators in peaceful use, transparency, and responsible behavior. (Pictured: Center L-R: Limp, Carberry; CW from upper Rt: Pace, Ivey, Pandya, Malik, Green, Gold, Wyche, Lal) (Image Credits: Explore Mars Inc., NASA, NASA/Pat Rawlings/SAIC, Rewire, Blue Origin, Space.com)

 TUESDAY

★ May 27 — SpaceX, Launch Starship (9th Flight), Starbase, Boca Chica TX: Starship Flight Test 9 with Booster 14 and Ship 35; 8-day launch window, opens today 18:30 CDT.

☆ May 27 — Rocket Lab, Launch Electron / Full Stream Ahead (BlackSky Gen-3 2), Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand: Launch of second BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.

● May 27 — American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Resources Technical Committee, Online / Reston VA: Webinar: Applied Propulsion: How Rocket Technology Fits Into ISRU; by Jonathan Slavik, Astrobotic; 13:00 EDT.

● May 27 — NASA, Freelancer, Online: Design contest entries due for Artemis II Moon Mascot zero gravity indicator; small plush item maximum ~15x15x15 cm, to be fabricated by NASA Thermal Blanket Lab.

o May 27-28 — SatNews, ESA Airbus, Clyde Space, KSat, RedWire, et al, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: SmallSat Europe 2025.

o May 27-29 — Global Satellite Operators Association, Singapore Space & Technology Ltd, et al, Singapore: SatelliteAsia 2025.

● May 27 – Jul 25 — USRA Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX: Exploration Science summer intern program; activities will support Artemis missions.

☆ May 27 — Mars and Saturn: At heliocentric opposition, 21:00.

WEDNESDAY

★ May 28 — SpaceX, Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 10-32, LC-39 KSC FL: Next batch of Starlink satellites to launch for LEO mega-constellation.