China to crash spacecraft into asteroid in planetary defense test

China plans to crash a spacecraft into a distant asteroid, marking its entry into planetary defense experiments. This will make China the second country to attempt such a mission, following the United States. The goal of this experiment is to test technologies that could either destroy or deflect potentially hazardous asteroids. Space agencies globally are increasingly focused on detecting and managing the risks posed by larger space objects. Asteroids frequently enter Earth's atmosphere, but most are too small to cause harm. The risk of a significant impact remains a concern for space agencies worldwide.