"If the US does it, we do it too"... China to conduct 'Earth Defense' experiment in 2026 [Reading Science]

2026 Asteroid Impact and Orbit Change Experiment Plan Revealed
Essentially the Same as the US DART Mission
Goal Also the Same: Defense Against Near-Earth Threat Objects
Determined to Catch Up with the US by Promoting 'Space Rise'
"Two Years Ahead in Mars Sample Return Competition"

Conceptual image of the United States' asteroid defense project DART mission. Photo by NASA

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "If the United States can do it, why can't we?" China, which is pushing for its space rise, has stepped forward as a self-proclaimed 'Earth Defense Force' like the U.S. It plans to conduct a defense operation experiment against an asteroid colliding with Earth.

According to SpaceNews on the 14th, Long Lehao, the chief designer of China's Changzheng rocket series, announced at a recent lecture that they plan to conduct such an experiment in 2026 targeting the near-Earth asteroid 2020 PN1. The 2020 PN1 asteroid was discovered in 2020 and is known to be about 40 meters in diameter.

China plans to launch two satellites for observation and impact aboard the Changzheng 3B rocket in 2026, approach this asteroid, physically impact it, and then observe the results.

This is essentially the same experiment as NASA's DART mission launched last November. The DART mission is scheduled to approach the binary asteroids Dimorphos and Didymos, located about 10.78 million km from Earth, around September next year, physically impact the smaller satellite Dimorphos, and alter its orbit. In other words, it is an experiment to see whether it is possible to change or destroy the orbit of an asteroid with a high probability of colliding with Earth by physically impacting it. The collision scene will be filmed and transmitted by an accompanying CubeSat from the Italian Space Agency. Additionally, three years later, the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch the Hera observation satellite to conduct further research.

Earlier, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced in April that it would conduct such an 'Earth defense experiment,' but did not disclose specific timing or targets. At that time, CNSA only revealed plans to establish an early warning system for near-Earth threat objects and prepare countermeasures.

Meanwhile, since declaring its 'space rise' in the late 2000s, China has been actively engaged in space exploration and development, including building its own space station, lunar and Mars exploration, and sample collection. China's space development budget in 2021 was a total of $9.125 billion (about 11.9 trillion KRW), the highest in the world except for the U.S. ($48.637 billion). South Korea's budget was only $616 million. In particular, China is determined to win the Mars sample return competition against the U.S. China recently announced plans to retrieve samples collected by the rover 'Zhurong,' which successfully landed on Mars last year, around 2031, ahead of the U.S. However, the U.S. is known to be able to do so only around 2033 due to budget shortages and other reasons.