China Recruits the 2032 Asteroid Threat’s Planetary Defence Force
China is recruiting people for a “planetary defence force” that will protect Earth from an asteroid strike in 2032. Beijing’s State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry has opened applications for three posts, including those centred on asteroid monitoring and early warning system development, after risk assessments revealed the threat. The hiring is indicative of China’s aggressive planetary defence strategy.
An asteroid that has a tiny but growing possibility of hitting Earth in seven years is receiving more attention at the same time as the hiring. Both US and European space agencies have asteroid 2024 YR4 at the top of their risk list after analysts raised their estimate of the possibility of an impact from 1.3 to 2.2 percent last week. The Space Mission Planning Advisory Group of the United Nations, which meets regularly to consider appropriate solutions, includes China and other countries with space programs.
Why are they Employing People for the Unit?
The European Space Agency said on Friday, February 7, that the chances of Asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth were 2.2%. The action was announced on Wednesday, February 12. This exceeds NASA’s prediction of 1%, which Straight Arrow News previously reported.
NASA explained it is the most lethal space object near Earth, and space agencies around the world are preparing for the possible impact, despite the low chance of an impact.
What is the asteroid’s size?
The width of the YR4 is thought to be between 130 and 300 feet. It was initially found in late December 2024 by researchers at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii.
How would they prevent it from striking the planet Earth?
Several strategies have been put out to eliminate the possibility of impact, such as rerouting the asteroid with nuclear weapons or utilising NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART. In 2022, the first DART mission test used “kinetic impactors” to alter an asteroid’s trajectory.
Is someone Tracking the Asteroid?
The European Space Agency is regularly updating the public on the asteroid’s movements, even though there is still a greater than 97% chance that it will not strike Earth.
China Asteroid Deflection Test Faces Expert Concerns Over Potential Risks
In 2027, China plans to conduct its own asteroid deflection test on 2015 XF261, a smaller asteroid. Côte d’Azur Observatory scientist Harrison Agrusa, however, voiced alarm over the reduced size of the objective China is aiming for.
A similar operation on a much smaller target would probably kill it entirely, based on what we learnt from DART. He noted it might not be the best course of action because it could make the situation worse by dividing a single missile with a known trajectory into numerous pieces with unknown paths.
