China Intends to Protect the Earth From Asteroids by Utilizing the Moon

The brand-new project entails putting three guardian satellites carrying loads of fuel and kinetic weapons into the moon’s orbit around the Earth.

China’s “Planetary Defense System” has been capturing momentum recently, with Beijing researchers now planning to utilize the moon to safeguard Earth from asteroid strikes that could potentially wipe out a city or even human civilization, according to researchers involved in the project.

Two optical telescopes would be built on the moon’s south and north poles to survey the space around them for any threats that can have slipped through the ground-based early warning network, specifically those approaching from the blind side facing the sun.

The brand-new project entails putting three guardian satellites carrying loads of gas and kinetic weapons into the moon’s orbit around the Earth, Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, stated in a paper posted in the Chinese peer-reviewed journal Scientia Sinica Informationis.

When the system detects an asteroid with the potential to cause severe damage, it sends one or all of the guardian satellites to obstruct it within a short timeframe, as short as a week– faster than what any big rocket launched from Earth can achieve, according to the group.

“It will have the capability to obstruct incoming asteroids from all directions and can form a defense circle about two times the distance between the moon and Earth– about 800,000 km. in diameter,” Wu and his associates said.

“It will be able to obstruct inbound asteroids from all directions and create a defense circle about two times the distance between the moon and Earth– about 800,000 km. in diameter”.

Wu Weiren and his research group

China’s Earth Defense System, presently under development, consists of huge radars and telescopes in an attempt to avert an extinction event such as the one which wiped out the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.

Planetary surveillance

However, before breaking ground on the moon, China would first launch satellites into the moon’s orbit to test their most current surveillance, tracking, and interception technologies.

The researchers suggested that these satellites could potentially be used to defend China’s national security by having the telescopes and sensors directed toward the Earth.

They “have the possibility to monitor the geosynchronous orbit,” a high-altitude belt holding several communications and military satellites, they stated in the paper.

The Earth-protecting satellites could help China keep a close eye on other nations’ satellites “and improve the possibility to defend high-value space assets.”

A growing space power

China has become a growing space power, making an ever-increasing effort in recent years to get better its capabilities in space. So far, China has produced new satellites, landed probes on the moon, explored its dark side, and even constructed its own space station.

Nasa administrator Bill Nelson stated earlier this month that he was concerned about China’s possibility of taking over the moon. However, Beijing has denied this and dismissed these claims.

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