“No one is tasked with mitigation,” former Air Force space strategist Peter Garretson, an expert in planetary defense told Politico.

NASA has stressed that the asteroid system poses no threat to earth, and is being used purely as a testing ground.

“DART’s target asteroid is NOT a threat to Earth.

Chris Mattman, the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told The Post the agency often partnered with Space Force and Air Force on potential mitigation strategies and said any imminent impact scenario would likely involve “a whole of government effort” response.

Some China hawks, however, said the planetary defense was moot and China should be free to knock itself out over the issue — if it wanted to.