China forms team to protect Earth from killer asteroid: Details
China creates planetary defense amid asteroid collision threat (photo: Pixabay)
China has begun forming a planetary defense team in response to the detection of a large asteroid that is predicted to collide with Earth in seven years, reports the South China Morning Post.
On Friday, the European Space Agency (ESA) updated the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 colliding with Earth in 2032 to 2.2 percent, placing it at the top of the risk list.
The asteroid, estimated to be between 40 and 90 meters in diameter, was discovered by the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Hawaii in late December. This discovery triggered global response mechanisms to address the asteroid threat, as the probability of a collision exceeded the international monitoring threshold.
A few weeks after the asteroid's discovery, a specialized center under the China National Defense Science, Technology, and Industry Administration published an announcement seeking experts for three positions in the field of planetary defense.
The center, which focuses on aerospace research and Earth observation, is looking for graduates to study asteroid monitoring methods and develop an early warning system, according to an announcement published last month on the WeChat account of the China Space Science and Technology journal.
Several methods exist to prevent an asteroid collision with Earth. In 2022, NASA conducted the first successful planetary defense test by altering the trajectory of an asteroid through a collision.
We also reported on what the consequences of an asteroid collision with Earth would be.
Additionally, we have an article about 5 asteroids that could potentially impact Earth.
