Preventing asteroid impacts, China will also establish a near-Earth asteroid monitoring system!
This has significant comprehensive strategic implications for China's planetary defense, deep-space science, space security, and international influence.
June 30th is International Asteroid Day.
Xinhua News Agency reported that according to a release from the China National Space Administration (CNSA), China will build a ground-space coordinated near-Earth asteroid monitoring system to provide early warning and monitoring support for defending against asteroid impacts.
The network is expected to integrate ground-based telescopes with orbital observation equipment, enabling continuous monitoring.
Currently, the United States, the European Space Agency (ESA, a multinational consortium under the EU), Russia, and Japan have all established independent and complete monitoring networks.
Other countries possess dedicated observation facilities and participate in joint monitoring efforts.
The United Nations hosts two key international coordination bodies: the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), led by NASA; and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), led by ESA. The U.S., China, Europe, Russia, and Japan are core members, with data sharing and early warning information exchange among nations.
Once completed, China’s ground-space coordinated asteroid monitoring system will form an independent, fully integrated early warning system combining ground-based optical observation, deep-space radar, and space-based survey constellations—making China the fifth country globally, after the U.S., Europe, Russia, and Japan, to possess a full-chain asteroid monitoring and defense network.
It is expected that by the end of 2026, the ground-based optical network and Phase II of China’s "Sky Eye" radar will be fully operational, establishing an independent, mission-capable asteroid monitoring and early warning capability capable of autonomously detecting asteroids, tracking them, calculating orbits, and assessing impact risks—matching the foundational monitoring levels of the U.S. and Europe. By 2030, the complete, high-end ground-space coordinated system will be fully built.
This system holds great significance for China.
It can protect China’s space assets such as the Tiangong space station and Beidou navigation system.
With precise early warnings on collision risks between space debris and near-Earth objects, low Earth orbit satellites, the Tiangong space station, and Beidou navigation satellites are particularly vulnerable to impacts from small meteoroids and defunct spacecraft fragments.
The monitoring system can conduct round-the-clock scanning of orbital airspace, issue early warnings about potential collisions, and guide spacecraft maneuvers to avoid hazards.
Additionally, the derived technologies in orbital control and deep-space kinetic disposal not only enhance asteroid defense capabilities but also enable cleanup of space debris and safeguard China’s in-orbit assets, establishing a non-equivalent strategic technical reserve in space.
More importantly, it enables China to gain international strategic discourse power and become a core leader in global planetary defense.
Breaking the U.S. and ESA’s monopoly over asteroid data, the current global early warning database is dominated by the United States and the European Space Agency.
After building its independent and complete monitoring system, China will possess autonomous observation and risk assessment capabilities, no longer reliant on foreign data, thereby securing independent decision-making authority in global space security matters.
Meanwhile, it will expand China’s initiative in deep-space international cooperation. With a robust monitoring capability, China can lead multilateral asteroid detection and defense projects, attract participation from multiple countries in astronomical and deep-space technology collaboration, and significantly enhance its global influence in the aerospace field.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869551921627146/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author