Planetary Defense
Future Asteroid That Threatens Earth May Be Near-Indestructible, Scientists Warn
"Rubble-pile" asteroids are far more common than we thought, and destroying them may be effectively impossible. Call in the nukes.
Watch the First Asteroid Defense Test in History Happen Live in Space Tonight
NASA's DART test will slam a small probe into an asteroid in the first-ever planetary defense test that will seek to knock the rock off course.
The Odds of This Dangerous Asteroid Hitting Earth Just Went Up
The odds of asteroid Bennu hitting Earth are still extremely low, NASA said in an update, but an impact could be disastrous.
Scientists Tried and Failed to Stop a Hypothetical Deadly Asteroid in an Exercise
Despite putting all options on the table, including nukes, "the exercise played out that we basically had to take the hit,” said Lindley Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer.
NASA Has a Plan to Punch an Asteroid With a Spaceship to Protect Earth
Planetary astronomer Andy Rivkin talks to VICE News about the first flight demonstration of planetary defense, called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.
Scientists Discover the Closest Known Asteroid to the Sun
It's one of 19 asteroids that have been detected within Earth's orbit.
This Asteroid Hunter Is Tasked With Saving Earth from Killer Impacts
Lindley Johnson is NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer and in many ways, the fate of the Earth rests in his hands. But he’s not stressed about it.
NASA Has Opened a Planetary Defense Office to Protect Earth from Cosmic Collisions
Following a meteor "super-fireball" blast in 2013 and last year's "Halloween Asteroid" scare, the space agency has established an operation that aims to detect, track, and intercept astral bodies that threaten to hit the planet.
NASA Just Discovered an Asteroid Will Fly Annoyingly Close to Earth on Halloween
It’s expected to be the closest flyby by a large object until August 2027.
NASA Has Cut Off the Group That Wants to Save Us From Killer Asteroids
The B612 Foundation doesn't appear to be doing so well.