China Sets Up 'Planetary Defense' Unit Over 2032 Asteroid Threat
hina has established a "planetary defense" team to counter the threat of an asteroid that could hit Earth in 2032.
As concerns grow regarding the threat from space, Beijing's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense has begun recruiting workers for its defense team, according to the South China Morning Post.
Newsweek contacted NASA and the Chinese Embassy in the U.K. for comment via email outside normal business hours.
Why It Matters
On Friday, the European Space Agency said the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 was 2.2 percent, placing it at the top of the agency's risk list.NASA has said the asteroid is the most dangerous space object near Earth. Though the chances of the asteroid making impact are small, space agencies around the world are preparing for its potential arrival.
What To Know
China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense has begun assembling a space defense team by posting recruitment listings for three available roles. One listing posted to WeChat said the center was recruiting graduates to study asteroid monitoring and create early warning methods.Asteroid 2024 YR4 is estimated to be 40 to 90 meters (130 to 300 feet) wide and was initially discovered by the University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy in late December. Swiftly after its discovery, Beijing's agency posted the recruitment listings.
As it is scheduled to near Earth by 2032, the asteroid is being monitored by multiple space agencies globally, and various methods of averting a collision have been proposed.
China sets up "planetary defense" unit over 2032 asteroid threat
Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, and China is preparing to deter it by mirroring a U.S. space test.
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