Asteroid set to strike earth in 7 years, China begins recruitment for ‘planetary defence force’

China has launched a recruitment effort for a planetary defence team following risk assessments indicating that an asteroid could potentially collide with Earth in 2032.

On Friday, the European Space Agency (ESA) revised the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 striking Earth in 2032 to 2.2%, placing it at the top of the agency’s risk list.

The asteroid, measuring between 40 and 90 meters (130 to 300 feet) in width, was identified by the University of Hawaii’s Institute of Astronomy in late December. Its detection triggered global asteroid response protocols after the probability of an Earth impact exceeded an internationally recognised monitoring threshold.

China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) posted job advertisements online seeking young, dedicated graduates specialising in aerospace engineering, international collaboration and asteroid detection.

The recruitment drive coincides with heightened attention on an asteroid that, while currently having a low chance of impacting Earth is seeing its risk level gradually rise. The 2024 YR4 asteroid is now a top priority on the risk lists of both European and U.S. space agencies. Last week, analysts raised the estimated probability of it striking Earth from 1.3% to 2.2%.

Several strategies could potentially be employed to prevent an asteroid from hitting Earth. In 2022, NASA conducted the world’s first successful planetary defence test by deliberately crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid to alter its path.

Li Mingtao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Science’s National Space Science Centre, stated in an interview with China Science Daily on Monday that China has achieved “significant progress” in asteroid defence. He emphasised that moving forward, it is essential to not only enhance equipment configuration and performance comprehensively but also to develop a specialised team focused on asteroid defence.

Li highlighted the importance of contributing “Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength” to safeguarding Earth’s security.

Li’s online profile indicates that he is involved in designing innovative asteroid defence strategies. The profile notes his goal of proposing a Chinese-led approach for early warning and defence systems targeting near-Earth asteroids.

In September, China revealed a conceptual plan for its inaugural mission to counter near-Earth asteroid threats. According to state media, the mission aims to observe an asteroid and then impact it with a spacecraft around 2030 to alter its trajectory.