NASA Says We Wouldn’t Be Able To Stop A Giant Asteroid From Hitting Earth
May 5, 2021 7:28AM EDT
Illustration of an asteroid or comet striking the surface of the Earth, created on July 19, 2015. (Illustration by Tobias Roetsch/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
According to NASA, if a giant asteroid was on a collision course with Earth, we’d all be pretty much done for.
The agency just completed a weeklong simulation looking at various scenarios – and concluded that we wouldn’t be able to stop an asteroid using current technology – even with six months of advance notice. Evacuating the impact area would be our only option – and NASA says governments are “dreadfully unprepared” for such a scenario.
However, the agency is working on new technology called DART – Double Asteroid Redirection Test – that could potentially redirect an asteroid’s orbit to prevent a threat to Earth.
Does NASA need to re-watch the 1998 movie Armageddon? What would you do to take out a giant asteroid?
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