China is moving forward with plans for an ambitious planetary defense mission aimed at testing whether a spacecraft can alter the path of a near-Earth object.
According to a leading space researcher, the project involves launching a spacecraft to collide with a small asteroid located tens of millions of miles away, with the goal of nudging its orbit by just over an inch.
The expected deflection, roughly 1.2 to 2 inches, may be small, but it would prove the concept of asteroid redirection. If carried out within this year, China would become the second country after the US to reach such a milestone.
Asteroid defense mission with observer and impactor
Wu Weiren, chief designer of the nation’s lunar exploration programme and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, announced the project during the third Deep Space Exploration (Tiandu) International Conference in Hefei, Anhui province. He explained that the mission will deploy two spacecraft – one to strike the asteroid and another to observe the impact – as part of efforts to strengthen China’s role in planetary defense research, the South China Morning Post reported.
As Wu detailed, he mission will begin with an observer spacecraft approaching the target asteroid to conduct detailed surveys and collect precise physical data. After this stage, an impactor spacecraft will crash into the asteroid at high velocity, while the observer, supported by ground- and space-based telescopes, records the collision with advanced imaging systems.
The scientist also outlined China’s vision for a comprehensive planetary defense system that would combine early warning, in-orbit response, and overall preparedness for potential asteroid threats. According to Chinese media, the strategy places kinetic impact at its core, supported by additional technologies to enhance effectiveness.
Wu also emphasized that Beijing is open to international cooperation, including data sharing, with the goal of building a joint global asteroid defense framework.
Dual nature of asteroids as resource and existential danger
Often described as fossils of the solar system’s early formation and evolution, asteroids are rich in valuable metals such as iron, nickel, and platinum group elements. Yet, near-Earth asteroids are also widely regarded as one of the most significant existential threats facing humankind.
Advances in observation technology have led to the discovery of an increasing number of asteroids, with NASA reporting that by June 2021 scientists had identified 26,115 near-Earth asteroids and 2,185 classified as potentially hazardous. China’s upcoming mission builds on this growing awareness and follows NASA’s 2022 effort, considered the world’s first planetary defense test.
In recent years, China has accelerated its research on near-Earth asteroids and planetary defense, keeping pace with growing US efforts in the field. Launched in May, China’s Tianwen-2 probe has two main objectives: to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid 2016 HO3 and then conduct a flyby study of the main-belt comet 311P.