China Forms Planetary Defence Force Amid Growing Asteroid Threat

China has launched a recruitment campaign to form a planetary defense team in response to growing concerns about the potential risk of asteroid collisions with Earth. This initiative follows the identification of a significant asteroid, which is expected to have a chance of striking Earth within the next seven years.

In a recent update, the European Space Agency (ESA) revised the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 colliding with Earth in 2032 to 2.2%, ranking it as the highest priority on the agency's risk list. The asteroid, estimated to be between 40 and 90 meters (130 to 300 feet) wide, was first detected by the University of Hawaii’s Institute of Astronomy in late December. Its potential to impact Earth triggered international protocols for asteroid threat management once its risk surpassed the threshold deemed worthy of attention by global monitoring systems.

To address the increasing threat, China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) has posted job openings for aerospace engineers, experts in international collaboration, and specialists in asteroid detection. The recruitment campaign comes as global attention on asteroid 2024 YR4 intensifies, with its risk level steadily increasing. Space agencies in both Europe and the U.S. have now classified it as a top priority.

While the asteroid currently poses a low probability of impacting Earth, experts are closely monitoring its trajectory. Last week, analysts increased the estimated likelihood of the impact from 1.3% to 2.2%. Several strategies are being considered to prevent a potential collision, with NASA already demonstrating the effectiveness of planetary defense in 2022. The U.S. space agency conducted the world’s first successful test by intentionally crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid to change its path.

Li Mingtao, a researcher at China’s National Space Science Centre, told China Science Daily that China has made “significant progress” in developing asteroid defense capabilities. He emphasized the importance of enhancing the nation’s equipment and creating a dedicated team focused on asteroid threat mitigation. Li stressed the need to apply “Chinese wisdom and strength” to ensure the protection of Earth.

Li’s work revolves around designing innovative defense strategies, with a focus on early warning systems and a coordinated defense plan to address near-Earth asteroids. In September, China announced plans for its first mission to combat asteroid threats, which aims to observe and then alter the trajectory of an asteroid by around 2030 using a spacecraft.

The recruitment effort and China’s broader space defense strategy mark an increasing global commitment to addressing the potential dangers posed by near-Earth asteroids.