The planned test for the Chinese anti-asteroid defense system centers on a mission targeting the near-Earth object 2019 VL5, a small asteroid roughly 30 meters in diameter that has drawn attention from space researchers and defense analysts alike. Space news outlets have framed the project as a pivotal demonstration of kinetic impact and sensor-based reconnaissance capabilities that aim to refine humanity’s ability to alter or measure an asteroid’s trajectory. The operational concept envisions a coordinated launch in 2025 using a Long March-3B rocket to deliver the main impact vehicle toward its target while an accompanying observer platform joins the flight. This observer unit, set to reach the vicinity of the asteroid first, will provide the earliest observational data and topographic assessments from a distance of about 30 kilometers. Equipped with a suite of laser, radar, and optical instruments, the observer will enable remote sensing of the asteroid’s surface properties and morphology, as well as collect information on any dust generated by the collision. In this way, the mission combines active impact with real-time scientific scrutiny, offering insights that could inform subsequent defense planning and planetary science—critical steps in building an integrated asteroid defense capability for North America and allied regions. [Space News] [NASA] [European Space Agency]”
