China is not taking the 2% chance of a large asteroid colliding with Earth in 2032 lying down. Weeks after the discovery of the asteroid 2024 YR4, which we still know little about, China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) has listed 16 available roles, including three in its "planetary defense force," per the Guardian and Mashable. Though the timing may be a coincidence, SASTIND is seeking young graduates with an interest in aerospace engineering, international cooperation, and asteroid detection, who must be under 35 and have "a firm political stance" in support of the Chinese Communist party and leader Xi Jinping.
"The Earth would depend on you three," read one response on Chinese social media site Weibo, per the Guardian. "If you succeed, you're a hero who saves the world," read another. "But no one would punish you for failing, I mean, there (would) be literally 'no one' left." In fact, researchers believe a direct hit from 2024 YR4 would not wipe out humanity, though it could take out a medium-sized city, per the South China Morning Post. Though the asteroid sits atop NASA and the European Space Agency's risk lists, officials say the risk of impact could fall over time, and if not, there is plenty of time to come up with a deflection plan. After NASA successfully nudged the harmless asteroid Dimorphos in 2022, China plans its own redirection of the smaller, near-Earth asteroid 2015 XF261 in 2027. (More asteroid stories.)
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