Chinese authorities have announced the formation of a task force to focus on "planetary defense" amid concerns over asteroid 2024 YR4. Weeks after its discovery, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for Defense posted a job posting for specialists who will work on strategies to protect the planet from potential space threats, according to the South China Morning Post. 

According to astronomers' calculations, asteroid 2024 YR4 may pose a danger to Earth in 2032. Although the probability of its collision remains extremely low and will be clarified as data accumulates, China has decided to prepare in advance for a possible scenario, which includes not only monitoring the object, but also developing methods for its neutralization. 

Li Mingtao, a researcher at the National Center for Space Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told China Science Daily that the probability of the asteroid hitting Earth will be clarified based on further orbital observations. According to him, if 2024 YR4 does indeed fall to Earth, it will most likely happen in the waters of the world's oceans. However, if it falls near the coast, there may be a threat of a large tsunami that could affect coastal cities. 

China's creation of a "planetary defense" group shows that the country takes seriously the risks associated with potential collisions between Earth and large space objects. The move also reflects Beijing's desire to take a leading position in international programs to protect the planet from asteroid threats. 

This is not the first time that China has shown interest in developing technologies related to monitoring and preventing collisions between Earth and asteroids. In 2022, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced plans to build an early warning system and a mission to change the orbit of potentially hazardous celestial bodies. A similar experiment was conducted by NASA in 2022 as part of the DART mission, when the probe successfully changed the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos. 

As part of international cooperation, China is actively involved in global programs to study near-Earth objects. Last year, China tested prototypes of asteroid interception systems using kinetic impact. The development of such technologies may help prevent possible collisions with large celestial bodies in the future. 

Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered late last year and its size is not yet precisely determined. However, astronomers assume that it is large enough to cause serious destruction if it collides with Earth. As new data comes in, its orbit and the likelihood of impact will be refined.