Overview

• Wu Weiren said the effort could begin as early as this year, with the goal of demonstrating an orbital change by 2030, though the target asteroid and launch timeline were not disclosed.
• The plan uses an observer to characterize the asteroid before a separate impactor strikes it at high speed, with ground and space assets tracking the outcome.
• China has invited more than 40 countries and organizations to participate in joint monitoring and research tied to the demonstration.
• Commentators warn the technologies involved could be adapted for anti-satellite missions, highlighting the program’s dual-use implications.
• Experts describe major uncertainties in navigation accuracy, asteroid composition and ejecta behavior; the effort follows NASA’s 2022 DART test, which the agency framed as a non-military experiment.