The US space agency has revealed that it is carefully reviewing its contingency protocols in the event of a catastrophic cosmic event. Planetary defense expert Dr. Kelly Fast emphasizes the importance of detecting and monitoring potentially dangerous asteroids before they pose a real threat to our planet. In his own words, “It is essential to find these celestial bodies before they find us, and to be prepared to intervene if necessary”.
NASA scans space for asteroids
NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office is actively engaged in scanning space for potential asteroids that may pose a threat to Earth. Maintaining constant surveillance of the cosmos is crucial to anticipate any potential risks and take proactive measures to protect our planetary home.
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NASA revealed that it is carefully reviewing its contingency protocols in the event of a catastrophic cosmic event.
NASA prepares for a possible asteroid impact
The expert detailed the preparation process necessary to address a situation of this type, highlighting the importance of identifying potentially dangerous asteroids before they represent a real threat to our planet. According to his words, “The impact of an asteroid is the only natural disaster that could be avoided”thus underlining the need to maintain active control over these celestial objects.
NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office supports efforts to discover asteroids and calculate their trajectories in the distant future. Dr. Fast explained that if an asteroid impact threat is identified years or decades in advance, there is the possibility of conducting a diversion mission. However, he emphasized that the first task in planetary defense is to detect and monitor these asteroids effectively.
In the event that an impact threat is confirmed, NASA would issue an official notification, initially addressed to the government of the affected country, before extending it globally and communicating it to the United Nations. According to current protocols, if the asteroid is years away, attempts would be made to deflect it to avoid impact. However, if the time frame is less than five years before the expected impact, the option of destroying the asteroid rather than deflecting it would be considered.
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NASA is preparing for a possible asteroid impact.
The tests carried out
In 2022, NASA carried out the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, in which it blew up an asteroid in deep space. This initiative aimed to test the feasibility of deflecting potentially dangerous asteroids before they pose a threat to Earth. The scientific experiment, which had a budget of $324 million, yielded promising results by determining the thrust needed to deflect the asteroid in the event of an imminent impact.
During the mission, the DART spacecraft deliberately collided with the asteroid Dimorphos, a moon of a minor planet known as Didymos. Although Dimorphos did not pose a threat to Earth at the time, it was a successful simulation to test the ability of space technology to alter the orbit of a space object. The asteroid was about 11 million kilometers from our planet at the time of impact, which guaranteed terrestrial safety during the experiment.
The results of the DART experiment were encouraging, as they managed to reduce Dimorphos’ orbit in a significant amount of time. Although the initial goal was to reduce the orbit by 73 seconds, the DART spacecraft impact managed to shorten it by 32 minutes, indicating a notable success in the ability of space technology to mitigate the risk of asteroid impacts.
