Assembled Kinetic Impactor asteroid deflector inside the Long March 5 (CZ-5) rocket.
Some asteroids are as small as pebbles, but others are hundreds of kilometers in diameter.
Changing the trajectory of a giant asteroid hurtling toward Earth at high speed requires a lot of kinetic energy.
On each rocket is a deflector, designed to avoid breaking up the asteroid.
The CZ-5 is the centerpiece of China’s space program, used in space station construction and Mars exploration.
In their research report, Li and his colleagues suggested that fuel not used up during rocket launch could provide additional thrust when flying toward the asteroid.
Li assessed that the US mission has a higher cost than China’s and a longer preparation time.
