China to Create 'Planetary Defense Force' to Combat Asteroid 2024 YR4

Amid growing concerns over the potential threat of asteroid 2024 YR4, China is taking steps to establish a "planetary defense force." The asteroid, measuring between 40 to 90 meters in diameter, has raised alarms due to the increasing likelihood of it colliding with Earth in 2032.

China's State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) has begun recruiting young professionals for this new force. According to The Guardian, recent job postings on China’s WeChat platform revealed plans to form a specialized team tasked with monitoring near-Earth asteroids and developing advanced early warning systems.

The asteroid 2024 YR4, if it were to strike Earth, could cause significant local damage. The recruitment drive targets candidates with a master's degree or higher in astrophysics, aerospace science, or earth and space exploration technology. In addition to technical expertise, applicants must be under 35 years old and demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with a political alignment to President Xi Jinping.

The job description highlights research focused on asteroid monitoring, early warning systems, and international cooperation. The aim is to develop new technologies for asteroid defense. This effort mirrors NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which successfully altered the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022.

The recruitment drive coincides with increasing concerns over asteroid 2024 YR4, whose odds of colliding with Earth have risen from 1.3% to 2.2%, according to analysts. The United Nations’ Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, which includes China, is also holding regular meetings to discuss strategies for planetary defense.