Chinese spacecraft will crash into an asteroid at 23,000 km/h to change its speed and flight path

In late September, the National Aeronautics Administration's Double Asteroid Rendezvous Test (DART) probe

Space Research (NASA) purposefully crashed into an asteroid. China wants to do the same.

What is known

In 2025, Chinese scientists will send into spacetwo devices. One of them will crash into asteroid 2019 VL5 at a speed of 23,000 km/h, and the second will observe the collision of the two objects. 2019 VL5 poses no danger to Earth.

The purpose of the mission is to changethe speed and trajectory of the asteroid. Both devices will be sent into space using the Long March 3B rocket. The device that will monitor the impact will be the first to approach the asteroid. It is equipped with high-resolution cameras that will capture the ejection of fragments after a collision. The device will be located at a distance of 30 km from 2019 VL5.

Initially, China wanted to attack an asteroid called 2020 PN1. It is now a backup target in case the mission fails to hit 2019 VL5.