China launches spacecraft to collect asteroid samples

China launched a spacecraft on Thursday to collect samples from an asteroid near Mars, aiming to make groundbreaking discoveries. The mission is expected to expand humanity's understanding of the cosmos. The Tianwen-2 probe, launched on a Long March 3-B rocket, will collect samples from asteroid 2016HO3 and explore comet 311P. The China National Space Administration anticipates the mission will take a decade and return samples in about two years. This mission is part of China's growing space program, which includes a space station and lunar exploration. The program, controlled by the military, aims to put a person on the moon before 2030.