China is forming a planetary defense force as asteroid 2024 YR4’s risk of hitting Earth in 2032 rises. The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) has begun recruiting young experts to tackle this potential threat.
Job ads posted on WeChat this week reveal plans to assemble a team focused on monitoring near-Earth asteroids and developing early warning systems, as per a report in The Guardian. Among the 16 vacancies at SASTIND, three positions are specifically for this new planetary defense force.
Candidates under 35 with master’s degrees in astrophysics, aerospace science, or earth and space exploration technology are encouraged to apply — if they meet one additional requirement: unwavering loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and its ideology.
China’s planetary defense ambitions mirror NASA’s recent DART mission, which successfully demonstrated how to deflect a space rock. China plans to launch a similar mission in 2027, targeting asteroid 2015 XF261. The new planetary defense recruits will likely play a key role in these efforts.
At the center of the concern is asteroid 2024 YR4, which recently had its collision risk upgraded from 1.3% to 2.2%. The asteroid measures between 40 and 90 meters wide and could cause devastating local damage if it impacts Earth. It will disappear from view soon and won’t be observable again until 2028, leaving only a four-year window to respond before a possible collision in 2032.
London-based volcanologist Robin George Andrews has raised concerns on X about the timeline. He warned that deflection missions launched after 2028 may risk fragmenting the asteroid rather than pushing it off course.
Astronomers will begin observing the asteroid using the James Webb Space Telescope in March to gather data on its size and trajectory. The findings will be crucial in determining whether planetary defense plans can effectively prevent a catastrophic impact.