When Armageddon came out in 1998, The option of avoiding the asteroid approaching Earth seemed unlikely if it had not been invented. If one of these objects is close enough to collide, you have no choice but to cross your arms so that it is not too destructive.

However, over time, Pot And European Space Agency (ESA) Developed projects to detect and avoid such approaches.

Currently the most advanced company is NASA, which started the first experiment by launching a mission Arrow. But China will soon join him on a similar mission; Which, if it receives all the necessary permits, will come into force in 2025.

According to the Global Times, this is a new mission Announced last week, April 24, the Deputy Director of the National Space Administration of China, Wu Yankhua. In the same statement, he made it clear that they have not yet chosen which asteroid to target, but are looking for one that could pose a threat to Earth.

They will find a way to redirect, but will also develop a warning system to connect to a system already implemented by other space agencies.

Again They did not get the necessary permits. However, if all goes according to plan, China may have its own DART mission. The truth is that an asteroid collision with Earth is very unlikely; But, given the dangers that exist, the more projects prepared for its prevention, the better.

Missions that hunt for possible asteroids close to Earth

NASA and ESA are compiling the list Objects close to Earth (NEO) for years. Is about Celestial bodies whose orbits pass close to the planet Where people live at some point in the future. As for proximity, it is certainly astronomical.

But not because they go through that they pose a real threat. In fact, these lists also include the probability of an effect, which is usually very low. So be it It is very important to constantly review and update it.

If at some point a large NEO is found with a high probability of impact, there are several options. The first thing is Evacuation of the impact zone, But logically this is not the most desirable. Also, if it had been a particularly large asteroid, this evacuation would have been pointless. That’s why projects like NASA ‘s DART have been implemented.

This is a spacecraft launched last November that aimed to go to an asteroid that does not actually pose a threat to Earth and jump into it as an experiment. It will reach its goal in October 2022. Then, in the fall of 2024, the Hera Observer will be launched in the same direction, To analyze the impact of DART on an asteroid.

It will be something like what China is planning, However they are still looking for the perfect asteroid for their first function.

These are China’s plans

China has been developing model plans for NASA and ESA for some time. In fact, according to The Verge, In October last year, a planetary defense conference was held in the country.

This will be the next step. The approach that the Chinese National Space Administration intends to demonstrate can make NASA self-regulating the process.

However, even though it has already started, China will still have to wait until its project passes proper control. If all goes well, May be launched in 2025. Currently, a list of objects close to Earth Does not contain any asteroids that pose a major threat in the coming years, So there seems to be nothing to worry about.

Can a new one suddenly appear? Yes, but the chances are low. Is a place for NASA as well as ESA and China.

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