China has launched the Tianwen-2 probe on a mission to return samples from the asteroid 2016HO3 near Mars and explore the main-belt comet 311P.

The spacecraft, launched aboard a Long March 3-B rocket, aims to collect samples and return them to Earth in about two years.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) described the mission as a major step in China’s interplanetary exploration, expected to provide insights into the formation of Earth and the origins of water, Euro News has reported.

China, which has returned moon samples and operates the Tiangong space station, is also planning future missions, including a crewed lunar landing before 2030 and an exploration of Jupiter.

Written by B.C. Begley