China plans to deflect near-Earth asteroid in 2023
China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) has announced plans to conduct a test mission in 2023 to deflect a small asteroid from its current course.
The Earth is hit by objects from space around 50 times a day, but most are just small grains of sand. However, larger objects can cause significant damage. In the past, asteroids have exploded over cities, causing widespread destruction and damage.
There is growing interest in finding ways to identify, track, and deflect potentially dangerous asteroids before they become a threat. The CNSA’s planned mission will demonstrate China’s capability to carry out such a deflection.
The target asteroid, (NEO) 2015 XF261, passed close to Earth in 2024 and is about 100 feet in diameter. The mission aims to determine the asteroid’s shape, size, composition, and structure using various detectors and cameras.
After orbiting the asteroid for three to six months, a kinetic impactor will be fired at it and the spacecraft will remain on station for six to 12 months to measure the effects of the impact.
Source: https://newatlas.com/space/china-asteroid-deflection-mission-2030/