Gong Zizheng, who led China’s planetary defence project, dies at 61

Gong Zizheng, a pioneer of space debris research and a key figure in China’s planned asteroid defence mission, has died at 61.A top government adviser and prominent leader in international space debris organisations, Gong died on Saturday after a battle with illness, according to Chinese media reports. No further details were given.On social media, one of Gong’s colleagues at the China-academy-of-space-technology" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="181148" data-entity-type="organization">China Academy of Space Technology remembered him as a prolific scientist deeply devoted to his work, a warm and gentle person, and a generous mentor who readily shared his knowledge and guided younger scholars.