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Posted by: yaohua2000 Dec 28 2012, 03:52 AM

http://wb.lzbs.com.cn/html/2012-12/27/content_420157.htm

China's first dedicated asteroid mission will be powered by xenon ion engine. The engine has successfully tested in orbit on Shijian-9 satellite on November 7, 2012. The probe will visit three asteroids: make a flyby of the first and take pictures, orbit the second, and land on the third. According to earlier reports, potential targets include 12711 Tukmit, 99942 Apophis and (175706) 1996 FG3.

Posted by: Explorer1 Dec 28 2012, 07:17 AM

Apophis? Wow! Are those asteroids listed in respective order to the objective or not? Because even a flyby would tell us loads in terms of hazard potential.
And 1993 FG3 is MarcoPolo's target too... Dual missions to one asteroid; what's not to like?

Posted by: Paolo Dec 28 2012, 08:57 AM

does the article give any idea as of the timeline of the mission?
anyway, here is a paper (in Chinese) on the orbit design of a similar multi-target mission using ion propulsion to Nereus, Apophis and to 1999 JU3, the target of Hayabusa 2. the mission would launch in 2017 and reach 1999 JU3 in 2020. the mass of the spacecraft (1000 kg) would make it "launcheable" by a Long March 3A-class launcher
http://phys.scichina.com:8083/sciG/EN/abstract/abstract504408.shtml

Posted by: yaohua2000 Dec 28 2012, 09:38 AM

The article only gives the first use of the new ion engine in 2015. It is unknown whether the 2015 mission is the asteroid mission.

I have the full text of the paper you quoted which dated July 2011. But I think Ouyang Ziyuan's presentation matches the latest report better. It is also known that a meeting was held in May 2012 on the design of the asteroid mission. Based on all these info, I think we could have an estimated launch time between 2015 and 2017, a flyby of 12711 Tukmit in August 2018, and 99942 Apophis orbit insertion in April 2020, Apophis departure in September 2020, orbit and landing on 1996 FG3 August–December 2023.

Posted by: Wangwang Jan 14 2013, 03:19 AM

As far as I know, officially, there is no timeline for an asteroid mission in China. But possible missions are now studied in universities and institutions. I'm also looking forward to this kind of mission.

Posted by: TheAnt Jan 14 2013, 04:05 PM

Thank you Yaohua for this information. A proposal to get 3 asteroids visited with one mission could make that attractive that the proposal might get a go ahead.

MOD NOTE: Follow-on discussion re multiple encounters moved http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7582.

Posted by: Paolo Jan 22 2014, 06:39 AM

interesting. a paper by Chinese researchers on one of the objects they have indicated as a possible target for their asteroid mission: http://arxiv.org/abs/1401.5357

Posted by: Paolo Jun 12 2014, 06:48 AM

the latest issue of Acta Mechanica Sinica has several articles related to the asteroid mission:
http://ams.cstam.org.cn/EN/volumn/volumn_3608.shtml

Posted by: Phil Stooke Jun 12 2014, 04:14 PM

One of those papers concerns shape modelling of Toutatis based on a combination of radar and optical data, the latter from Chang'E 2. One caveat, don't assume the axis of the shape model really coincides with a rotation axis. Their grid matches the one used in a radar modelling paper some years ago (referenced in this paper), but it is not tied to rotation, which is complex for this asteroid. I prefer a rotation axis running the length of the body (slow long axis mode rotation). Normally the rotation axis is the shortest axis, but slow rotators lack the angular momentum to force that to happen.

Phil

Posted by: Paolo Sep 26 2015, 09:57 AM

a Chinese Hayabusa
http://phys.scichina.com:8083/sciGe/EN/abstract/abstract509991.shtml

Posted by: Paolo Jan 18 2016, 08:13 AM

there was a workshop in Beijing earlier this month on the Chinese asteroid mission.
details (in Chinese) are here: http://www.chinaspaceflight.com/satellite/Deepspace/Asteroid-Exploration/Asteroid-Probe.html
the mission outline, http://www.chinaspaceflight.com/usr/uploads/2015/11/09/1447067656334384.jpg, shows launch in 2022, rendezvousing with Apophis for 7 months, a flyby of 2002 EX11 and finally rendezvous and landing on 1996 FG3.

Posted by: HSchirmer Feb 13 2016, 04:39 AM

QUOTE (Paolo @ Jan 18 2016, 09:13 AM)

Posted by: Hungry4info Jun 20 2022, 04:03 PM

This mission is now named Tianwen-2, and has gained a comet exploration extended mission after the sample return.

Posted by: Bill Harris Jun 23 2022, 08:11 AM

Oh, those plucky Chinese (read that as an ambitious and successful space program).

--Bill

Posted by: Explorer1 Apr 24 2024, 12:13 AM

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-theory-asteroid-kamooalewa-ejecta-moon.html
Giordano Bruno crater was modeled as the most likely origin point of Kamo‘oalewa, between 1-10 million years ago.