CHINA — A group of Chinese scientists are planning to capture a small asteroid near Earth to study it for its resources. <br /><br />So far, the scientists have targeted an asteroid which is 6.4 meters in diameter and weighs several hundred tons, reports Xinhua.<br /><br />Li Ming Tao, a researcher involved with the project, said they aim to "turn asteroids with a potential threat to Earth into usable resources."<br /><br />The Chinese scientists plan to send a spacecraft with a huge bag which would wrap around a small asteroid and push it to Earth.<br /><br />The spacecraft would then unfold a heat shield which would "reduce the velocity of the asteroid" from 12.5 kilometers per second to 140 meters per second when it enters Earth's atmosphere.<br /><br />The scientists plan to study the asteroid and may choose to mine it for its resources.<br /><br />The asteroids may contain traces of history about the origins of the solar system and the origin of water and life on our planet, Xinhua reports.<br /><br />The team plans to launch the asteroid catcher by 2029 and bring back an asteroid by 2034.
