According to media reports, China has announced plans to build an asteroid monitoring and defence system to help address the threat of asteroids colliding with Earth.
According to China National Space Administration (CNSA) deputy head Wu Yanhua, the country plans to conduct a technical experiment on a potentially dangerous asteroid as early as 2025 by closely tracking and attacking it to change its orbit, according to Global Times.
China will proceed with the establishment of a near-Earth asteroid monitoring and defence system to deal with the threat of an asteroid impacting spacecraft and contribute to the safety of the Earth and humanity, Wu said in an interview with China Central Television.
The country will establish a ground-based and space-based asteroids monitoring and warning system to catalogue and analyse asteroids that pose a threat to humanity’s space activities, and then relevant technology and engineering will be developed to mitigate the threats.
According to Wu, the CNSA is also developing simulation software for possible impacts from near-Earth asteroids and will organise rehearsals for the defence process to address the common threat and shouldering the responsibility as a major global power in safeguarding the Earth with other countries.
According to the report, the system is currently in the project establishment phase and is being reviewed for approval, which requires close coordination of multiple departments.
Earlier this year, in January, Chinese officials published a white paper mentioning plans to study a planetary defence system, and the country also hosted a planetary defence conference in October. Even though the United States and Russia are developing asteroid monitoring systems, China’s defence system could be a valuable supplement in addressing the threat of asteroids colliding with Earth. According to Song Zhongping, a military expert and space observer.
“This is another practical solution that China proposes to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and it is the duty for a major space power to protect mankind from possible disasters that could end the entire human civilization,” Song said.
To deter a potential asteroid attack, China requires a carrier rocket with extremely high thrust, putting the country at the forefront of asteroid defence technology, according to Li Mingtao, professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ National Space Science Center.
