China unveils asteroid defense plan following recent space event

China unveils asteroid defense plan following recent space event
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 12, 2024

On Sept 5, Asteroid 2024 RW1 entered Earth's atmosphere, burning up about 25 kilometers above the Philippines. This event, coinciding with China's announcement of a new asteroid defense initiative, highlighted both the necessity and feasibility of such a plan.

While the odds of an asteroid causing significant damage are relatively low - most disintegrate upon entering the atmosphere - the potential impact of a landfall could be catastrophic. Historical incidents underscore this risk. The asteroid that struck the Gulf of Mexico around 65 million years ago is widely believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. In a more recent example, the Tunguska event of 1908 saw an asteroid crash into Siberia, triggering a fire that devastated approximately 80 million trees over 2,000 square kilometers.

In earlier times, humanity lacked the means to detect or defend against hazardous asteroids. But advancements in modern technology, particularly in telescopes and telecommunications, have made it possible to track potential threats and devise ways to mitigate them.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been actively addressing these cosmic threats. In September 2022, NASA conducted the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), in which a spacecraft was deliberately crashed into Dimorphos, a moonlet of the asteroid Didymos, to alter its trajectory. The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch its Hera mission in October to study the Didymos-Dimorphos binary system and the effects of NASA's DART impact.

China's approach to asteroid defense is expected to involve a strategy called "escort plus impact plus escort," which combines the methods used by NASA and ESA. This strategy involves both impacting an asteroid and monitoring it closely.

Since joining the International Asteroid Warning Network in 2018, China has been actively participating in global efforts to monitor and respond to potential asteroid threats. The nation was also closely observing the asteroid that burned up over the Philippines. With its growing technological capabilities, China has expressed a willingness to collaborate with international partners to safeguard Earth from asteroids.

Based on a Xinhua News Agency article