China has begun recruiting for a planetary defence force in response to an increasing risk of an asteroid hitting Earth in 2032. The recruitment drive, posted online by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND), aims to find young, skilled graduates with expertise in aerospace engineering, international cooperation, and asteroid detection.
The European and US space agencies have listed the 2024 YR4 asteroid as a top risk, with analysts increasing its likelihood of impact from 1.3% to 2.2%. The UN’s Space Mission Planning Advisory Group is working together to discuss a response to the threat.
SASTIND has posted job ads for three planetary defence force positions, requiring graduates under 35 with professional and technical qualifications, including a firm political stance supporting China’s Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping. The jobs focus on international cooperation, research on monitoring and early warning of near-Earth asteroids, and designing systems for new technology.
China’s aerospace sector is advancing, and the recruitment appears to be coincidental with the discovery of 2024 YR4. Experts say that deflecting an asteroid like this is a key focus of China’s efforts, including plans to replicate the successful NASA Dart mission. However, some scientists have expressed concerns about the effectiveness of China’s proposed mitigation strategy, citing the potential for creating more problems than solving them.
The recruitment drive has sparked online discussion among young people, who are concerned about the stress and responsibility that comes with potentially saving the world.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/14/china-opens-recruitment-for-planetary-defence-force-amid-fears-of-asteroid-hitting-earth