China Nationwide Area Company Plans First Mission to Hit Asteroid for Planetary Protection – NEO 2015 XF261 Focused

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – China Nationwide Area Company (CNSA) begins planning its first mission to hit an asteroid as a planetary protection. This mission may have two objectives, that’s, to hit the asteroid and have a look at the area rock to be taught extra concerning the photo voltaic system and the way it was shaped.

Quoted from the Area web page on Friday (19/07/2024), CNSA has asteroid designated (NEO) 2015 XF261 because the goal. This near-Earth asteroid is almost 30 meters broad.

Asteroid 2015 XF261 made its final method to Earth on July 9, 2024. This area object handed inside 31 million miles (50 million kilometers) of our planet.

The area rock was touring at about 26,000 mph (42,000 kph), about 30 instances sooner than the pace of sound. Asteroids like 2015 XF261 are thought to have shaped from materials left over after the planet shaped about 4.6 billion years in the past.

Subsequently, this asteroid provides observers the chance to review pure supplies, that are the foundations of the world of the photo voltaic system, together with the Earth. Asteroid 2015 XF261 is scheduled to fly previous Earth in March and Might 2027.

Nonetheless, it’s 20 million miles (32 million km) from our planet, so it can take a while for the CNSA to succeed in it. The CNSA might have one other probability to hit 2015 XF261 in April 2028, when the asteroid is just about 13 million miles (21 million km) away.

One other finest probability is in April 2029, when the asteroid might be inside 4.2 million miles (6.8 million km) of Earth. One other time, April 2030, when 2015 XF261 got here near Earth at a distance of about 4.4 million miles (7.1 million km).

China’s mission to hit area will await knowledge from DART and Hera, which can hit a NEO and observe its targets for six months to a 12 months after the influence. The reason being, the European Area Company (ESA) will launch the Hera spacecraft to the Didymos system to additional consider the influence of the DART mission in October 2024.

Hera is anticipated to satisfy Dimorphos and Didymos in 2026.