China Prepares Strategy to Anticipate Asteroid Falls Dangerous to Earth

The US has also seen a potential solution for Bennu, when it finally approaches Earth. Meanwhile, the HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) project will deliver more than 400 tons of rocket material. The number reached the asteroid faster than China anticipated and with a greater kinetic impact.

Nonetheless, this US plan will take at least 25 years to prepare. The time is longer and more expensive than China, which is only ten years.

Some scientists have proposed destroying asteroids with nuclear weapons. However, there is a big risk to be faced. Asteroids can break up into smaller pieces that can still hit Earth. That way, sending multiple rockets, such as the Long March 5, would be a more practical option.

“[Ada] possibility to defend against large asteroids with nuclear-free techniques in 10 years,” researcher Li Mingtao told South China Morning Post.

In addition, NASA has sent a spacecraft to Bennu to collect samples from the asteroid. NASA hopes to find primordial molecules that existed at the beginning of life on Earth.

Osirix-Rex, the operated spacecraft will return to Earth with its samples in 2023. The Long March 5 rocket is at the center of China’s future space plans. Where has made most of China’s space station deliveries and launched probes to the Moon and Mars.

China has successfully launched six Long March 5 rockets since 2016, including one that caused safety concerns after burning up in Earth’s atmosphere earlier this year.

Reporter: Ruth Flowers

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