China To Hire Planetary Defence Squad To Assess Asteroid Fears

China has recently put out a call to scientists in a bid to build a defence team that will review asteroid threats to Earth. With the growing fear of asteroids colliding with Earth, China has taken a more proactive approach to monitor and assess the threat of asteroids in space. Other nations haven’t bowed down either, with more projects surrounding asteroid defence coming to light. It is unknown whether the team has been hired. However, it’s seeming that China are undergoing preparations to independently monitor in-space threats. 

China’s Asteroid Detection Team

According to reports from South China Morning Post and Space Insider, China has already begun the hiring process. Reportedly, China’s Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence Administration (SASTIND) has released three job adverts for ‘planetary defence specialists’. According to Space Insider, WeChat was the platform that announced the recruitment drive. 

The soon-to-be-onboarded experts will report to a special missions department within SASTIND that handles China’s space research capabilities such as Earth observation. The role each specialist will play is yet to be confirmed. However, what is telling is China’s space ambitions are growing. With the incorporation of asteroid tracking, they are also joining a long list of nations aiming to monitor threats to life on Earth.    

Why Are China Concerned About Asteroids?

The news of China’s recent task force isn’t something new in the global landscape. Many nations are ramping up their efforts to detect and track asteroids that could strike Earth. If an asteroid was to crash into Earth, the aftermath could be catastrophic. Recent simulations on the Bennu Asteroid – that has a collision probability of 0.037% – could see land annihilated and the Earth’s climate drastically impacted.

In a bid to protect Earth, NASA recently conducted a test mission to reroute the trajectory of asteroid Dimorphous. The mission was a success. Post mission analysis found that Dimorphous did in fact change direction due to the force of NASA’s DART spacecraft. But fears have resurfaced after a short-lived sigh of relief when a new asteroid was discovered. Equally, too close for comfort.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 Ignites Calls To Closely Monitor Asteroids

On December 27, 2024, astronomers from the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) located a ‘Near-Earth Asteroid’ called YR4. A telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, located the asteroid which could collide with Earth in 2032. If YR4 struck Earth it could decimate a city or “local region”, ESA said. 

The probability of impact is very low – 1.2% according to the European Space Agency. Yet, recent updates have seen the probability increase to 2%. ESA is estimating the impact could happen on December 22 2032 – a Christmas present scientists are hoping we avoid. 

YR4 is 40 to 90 m in diameter, and the James Webb Space Telescope will soon be utilised to study the asteroid. While collision seems quite unlikely, it still alerted the UN to activate their International Asteroid Warning Network and Space Mission Planning Advisory Group. Asteroids like YR4 are the types of asteroids China’s new team will be aiming to identify, track, and advise on once their work commences.