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克服诸多新挑战,验证方案可行性,中国力推小行星防御计划
Huan Qiu Wang Zi Xun·2025-09-07 23:24

Core Viewpoint - China is planning to implement a kinetic impact demonstration mission to change the trajectory of an asteroid, validating the feasibility of planetary defense against potential asteroid threats to Earth [3][4]. Group 1: Mission Overview - The mission will utilize a "flyby + impact + flyby" approach, involving the launch of an observer and an impactor to study the asteroid's characteristics before executing a high-speed impact [3][4]. - The objective is to change the asteroid's trajectory by 3 to 5 centimeters, preventing potential collisions with Earth for decades to a century [3][4]. Group 2: International Collaboration - China aims to issue a cooperation initiative to global partners for joint monitoring, payload development, and data sharing in asteroid detection and defense [4][6]. - The collaboration is expected to enhance scientific understanding and precision in asteroid threat assessment, benefiting humanity as a whole [4]. Group 3: Challenges in Asteroid Impact Testing - The primary challenges include precision targeting, as hitting an asteroid millions of kilometers away requires extreme accuracy [5]. - Predicting the impact effects is difficult due to uncertainties regarding the asteroid's internal structure, which could range from solid rock to loose rubble [5]. - Observing the results of the impact is complicated by the vast distances involved, necessitating reliance on ground-based telescopes and delayed data transmission [5]. Group 4: Strategic Framework for Near-Earth Object Defense - China has initiated a comprehensive strategy for near-Earth asteroid detection and defense, including a monitoring and warning system that integrates ground and space capabilities [6][7]. - The strategy encompasses a range of technologies for asteroid impact mitigation, ensuring preparedness for various sizes of asteroid threats [7]. Group 5: Global Context and Importance - The global focus on asteroid detection and defense stems from the direct threat posed by near-Earth objects, with the United Nations designating 2029 as the "International Year of Planetary Defense" [8]. - Over 36,000 near-Earth asteroids have been identified, with significant past events highlighting the potential dangers of asteroid impacts [8]. - Asteroids also hold scientific and economic value, containing resources that could support future space exploration and the understanding of planetary formation [9]. Group 6: International Efforts in Asteroid Defense - Various countries, including the U.S., Japan, and Europe, have undertaken asteroid detection and defense initiatives, with significant achievements in demonstrating kinetic impact technology [10][11]. - NASA's successful DART mission in 2022 showcased the feasibility of using kinetic impact to alter an asteroid's trajectory, with follow-up missions planned for further exploration [11][12].