Ammon News - China is set to launch its Tianwen-2 asteroid probe and sampling mission on 29th May, Global Times reported on Monday, quoting the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Preparations for the mission are progressing smoothly at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. The Long March-3B rocket commissioned for the mission will be injected with propellant, according to the CNSA.

Previously, the Tianwen-2 probe successfully completed a series of planned procedures, including general assembly, testing, fuelling, transfer, functional checks, and joint testing. The launch vehicle underwent transfer, hoisting, probe-rocket docking, payload fairing encapsulation, and final comprehensive tests.

Ahead of the launch, the site conducted integrated rehearsals across all systems, while the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, Beijing Aerospace Control Centre, Xi’an Satellite Monitoring and Control Centre, the Yuanwang tracking ships, and multiple ground-based tracking and control stations carried out coordinated system verifications and joint control operations. WAM