New Delhi, Feb. 15 -- China has opened applications to recruit for a 'planetary defence force,' following risk assessments which determined that an asteroid could conceivably hit Earth in 2032.

To this end, China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) has invited applications from 'young loyal graduates,' The Guardian reported.HT cannot independently verify this information.

According to the ads posted on popular Chinese instant messaging app WeChat, there are 16 vacancies at SASTIND, including three for the new planetary defence force.

Applicants should be recent graduates (masters or higher), with majors in astrophysics, earth and space exploration technology, and aerospace science a...