NASA says we're not prepared to handle asteroid strikes
What's the story
NASA recently conducted a hypothetical exercise, revealing significant gaps in Earth's readiness for a potential asteroid impact.
The scenario was organized by the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, together with the US Department of State Office of Space Affairs, and FEMA.
The space agency warns that if an undetected asteroid has a 72% possibility of hitting Earth in 14 years, we might not be adequately prepared for it.
Challenges
Exercise reveals key shortcomings in asteroid impact readiness
Despite the potential for advanced prediction, Lindley Johnson, Planetary Defense Officer Emeritus at NASA headquarters, noted that the exercise exposed significant shortcomings in preparedness.
These include a lack of understanding around decision-making and risk tolerance, limited readiness to quickly implement necessary space missions, a need for better global messaging coordination, and undefined asteroid-impact disaster management plans.
The scenario was further complicated by a seven-month delay in essential follow-up observations, due to the asteroid's position behind the Sun from Earth's perspective.
DART impact
DART mission data used in asteroid exercise
The exercise marked the first use of data from NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.
The successful impact of the DART spacecraft on the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022, demonstrated the feasibility of using a kinetic impactor to alter an asteroid's path.
This information was crucial in understanding potential strategies for preventing a catastrophic asteroid collision with Earth.
Information
NASA's NEO Surveyor to enhance asteroid detection
NASA is developing the NEO Surveyor, an infrared space telescope designed to detect and characterize potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs) before they pose threats. The NEO Surveyor is scheduled for launch in June 2028.