After NASA, China has plans to launch its first-ever mission to nudge a near-Earth asteroid. 

The China National Space Administration’s (CNSA) target is 2015 XF261, a 100-foot (30-meter) asteroid. 

Just like NASA’s DART mission, China plans to smash a spacecraft into this asteroid to see if it can deflect its path. This planetary defense technique is important to protect humans from what led to the extinction of giant dinosaurs.

The Planetary Society first revealed details of this mission, citing a recent study in the Journal of Deep Space Exploration.

“For China’s first near-Earth asteroid defense on-orbit verification mission, a defensive disposal demonstration will be carried out on the potential risk of near-Earth asteroids impacting the Earth,” the study mentioned. 

Cosmic time capsule

China’s ambitious plan includes launching two spacecraft through this mission. One will deliberately collide with the asteroid, while the other will act as a scientific observer, gathering valuable data about the space rock and the formation of our solar system.

Asteroids, like 2015 XF261, are cosmic time capsules from the solar system’s formation around 4.6 billion years ago. 

These asteroids, formed from leftover material from planets’ formation, provide a unique opportunity to examine the solar system’s building blocks in their pristine, unaltered state. 

The study paper notes that the mission is currently in the planning stage, with details being worked out. 

It revealed: “The scientific objectives of the on-orbit verification of asteroid defense and its specific scientific exploration mission will be designed and proposed. A scientific payload demand analysis will be carried out, and payload configuration plans and exploration mission requirements will be proposed to provide a decision-making basis for the future implementation of asteroid defense missions.”

Dual spacecraft

The Chinese space agency aims to launch this mission before 2030. The exact launch date depends on the close orbit required to approach the asteroid.

As per Space.com, there are several windows between 2027 and 2030 during which the asteroid will be close enough to Earth for the mission.

The asteroid will swing by in March and May of 2027, though it’ll still be a safe distance of 20 million miles (32 million km) away. In April 2028, it will get slightly closer at around 13 million miles (21 million km). But the best opportunity is in April 2029, when this space rock will zoom by at a mere 4.2 million miles (6.8 million km). Another close flyby will be in April 2030, with asteroids passing Earth from 4.4 million miles (7.1 million km). 

The closer the distance, the shorter the time it takes for the spaceship to reach the asteroid. 

Before striking Dimorphos, DART traveled seven million miles to the Didymos system, which took ten months. 

NASA’s DART mission sent a single spacecraft that smashed into the asteroid and ended up in pieces. The European Space Agency (ESA) is launching the Hera mission in October 2024. This follow-up mission will arrive at the Didymos system in 2026 to study the effects of the DART impact.

Meanwhile, China plans to meet both of these mission objectives with its dual spacecraft. 

First, an observer spacecraft will spend 3-6 months getting up close and personal with the asteroid, measuring its size, shape, makeup, and orbit. Following this in-depth analysis, a separate impactor spacecraft will be unleashed, colliding with the asteroid at high speed. The observer will monitor the entire impact and its aftermath for another 6-12 months to collect valuable data. 

This will help scientists understand how to deflect asteroids in the future in case one ever threatens Earth. 

According to the Planetary Society, the mission will likely be launched on a Long March 3B rocket.