China Prepares Asteroid Defense Mission to Protect Earth

China is preparing a groundbreaking space mission designed to help protect Earth from potentially hazardous asteroids. According to Chinese scientists, the mission is not just an experiment—it aims to demonstrate the ability to change an asteroid's path relative to Earth, marking a significant advancement in planetary defense.

The project is being led by Li Mingtao, Chief Scientist for Planetary Defense at the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Details of the mission have been outlined in a research paper that is currently under review in the Chinese scientific journal Journal of Deep Space Exploration.

How the Mission Will Work

The mission will involve deliberately crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid at an extremely high speed to test whether its trajectory can be altered.

A spacecraft will collide with the asteroid at more than 9 kilometers per second.
The impact speed is approximately 26 times the speed of sound.
The collision is expected to take place in 2029 or 2030.
At the time of impact, the asteroid is expected to pass Earth at a distance of around 7 million kilometers.

The primary objective is to determine whether scientists can successfully change the asteroid's path relative to Earth before it could ever become a potential threat.

A Second Spacecraft Will Observe the Entire Mission

The mission will also include a second spacecraft that will closely monitor the asteroid before, during, and after the collision.

Researchers will analyze:

Changes in the asteroid's orbit.
Its overall shape.
Surface characteristics.
Its internal structure after impact.

The observations are expected to provide valuable data for future planetary defense missions.

How It Differs From NASA's DART Mission

Chinese researchers say this mission goes a step further than NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).

While the DART mission successfully caused a small change in the orbit of one asteroid around another, China's planned mission is intended to demonstrate the capability to alter an asteroid's trajectory relative to Earth itself. The researchers believe this approach offers a more practical demonstration of planetary defense techniques.

Conclusion

China's upcoming asteroid defense mission represents an important step toward protecting Earth from potential space threats. By intentionally sending a spacecraft to collide with an asteroid and studying the results in detail, scientists hope to demonstrate a practical method of changing an asteroid's course. If successful, the mission could strengthen future global efforts to defend the planet against hazardous asteroids.