China's Spacecraft Snaps First-Ever Close-Up Image Of Earth's Rare 'Minimoon'

The first-ever close-up image of Earth's rare "minimoon", Kamo'oalewa, has been captured by the China National Space Administration's Tianwen-2 spacecraft. The image was taken after the spacecraft completed a 13-month journey of nearly one billion kilometres from Earth. Launched on May 29, 2025, Tianwen-2 is the China National Space Administration's first mission to collect asteroid samples and bring them back to Earth.

Tianwen-2 first spotted the asteroid on June 6 and gradually moved closer over the following weeks. By July 2, the spacecraft was just 20 kilometres away, allowing it to capture the first close-up image ever taken of Kamoʻoalewa. The image reveals the asteroid's irregular shape and rugged surface, giving scientists their first detailed look at the mysterious object.

What Is Kamoʻoalewa?

Despite being called a "minimoon", Kamo'oalewa is not Earth's second moon. It is a rare type of asteroid known as a quasi-satellite. Instead of orbiting Earth directly, it travels around the Sun while staying gravitationally linked to Earth. Its unusual orbit keeps it close to our planet for long periods, making it appear to circle Earth from our perspective. Kamo'oalewa is estimated to be between 40 and 100 metres wide, making it one of the smallest asteroids ever visited by a spacecraft.

Scientists have identified only seven known quasi-satellites of Earth, making Kamoʻoalewa one of the rarest objects in our cosmic neighbourhood. 

Why The Mission Matters

During the mission, Tianwen-2 will study the asteroid up close, identify a suitable landing site and collect rock samples for return to Earth, as described in a paper published in Space Science Reviews.

"Among the known near-Earth asteroids, 2016HO3 is an exceptionally rare Earth co-orbital object.  As an Earth quasi-satellite, its orbital period is close to that of Earth, enabling low energy transfer, and it maintains a stable distance of about 0.1–0.3 AU from Earth, providing favorable conditions for tracking, control, and communication,"physicist Rongqiao Zhang, of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center explained in the paper. 

Scientists hope the samples will answer long-standing questions about the asteroid's origin. Previous telescope observations suggest Kamo'oalewa may actually be a fragment of Earth's Moon that was blasted into space by an ancient impact. Examining the returned samples could confirm or rule out that theory. Researchers also hope the mission will improve our understanding of how quasi-satellites form, evolve and remain near Earth over millions of years.