China Seizes Position as Savior of Humanity on Earth, Not America

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia –China is developing an early warning system to detect asteroids that could potentially impact Earth. This system will combine ground-based telescopes with a constellation of satellites operating in orbit.

The plan to build the system was revealed by Science and Technology Daily, a Chinese state-run media outlet, citing Li Mingtao, chief scientist at the Asteroid Monitoring and Early Warning Research Center under the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

According to Li, no asteroids have been discovered and are known to be on a direct collision course with Earth. This statement was made in a report on June 30, coinciding with International Asteroid Day, designated by the United Nations (UN).

Li said that more than 95% of near-Earth asteroids larger than 1 kilometer in diameter have been discovered. This size is considered large enough to trigger a global catastrophe.

However, scientists have only discovered about 45% of asteroids measuring around 140 meters. If they hit Earth, an asteroid of that size could destroy an area the size of a small country.

“These undiscovered near-Earth asteroids pose the greatest risk. They are numerous, very faint before their approach, and could even suddenly approach from the direction of the Sun,” Li said, as quoted by the South China Morning Post, Friday (July 17, 2026).

“These undiscovered near-Earth asteroids pose the greatest risk. They are numerous, very faint before their approach, and could even suddenly approach from the direction of the Sun,” Li said, as quoted by the South China Morning Post, Friday (July 17, 2026).

“That’s why the world is stepping up efforts to strengthen monitoring and early warning capabilities and to catalog these asteroids as soon as possible. We shouldn’t underestimate the risk of impact, but we shouldn’t be overly anxious either,” he continued.

China will select the best locations to build several large-aperture optical telescopes. According to a report by Science and Technology Daily, this will enable the system to provide wide-sky coverage and accurate measurements.

Space-based components will help overcome some of the limitations of Earth-based observatories. Satellites are not affected by day and night cycles or weather conditions.

Orbiting observatories can also detect asteroids moving toward Earth from the direction of the Sun. This is important because asteroids coming from this direction can be difficult to detect by telescopes on Earth.

One example is an asteroid that went undetected until it lit up the sky over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013.

Once the system detects a potential threat, scientists calculate the asteroid’s trajectory and the probability of impact. If the threat is deemed credible and urgent, authorities will receive a warning.

China began recruiting planetary defense researchers last year after the European Space Agency (ESA) reported that asteroid 2024 YR4, estimated to be up to 90 meters wide, had a 2.2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. However, scientists later stated that the asteroid was highly unlikely to hit Earth.

The report also stated that China had made a breakthrough in developing an algorithm to assess the risk of asteroid collisions.

Li said the most practical way to deal with the asteroid threat is to use the kinetic impact method. This method involves striking the asteroid with a spacecraft to alter its trajectory.

According to Li, asteroids can also be diverted using lasers, particle beams, or gravitational forces. However, these methods are relatively weak and can take years to significantly impact the asteroid’s trajectory.

SOURCE : CNBC INDONESIA