Events such as the fall of an asteroid are extremely rare. But it is important to know how to avoid this.

Near-Earth space objects are being studied by the CNEOS Research Center. This center is part of NASA.

Astronomer Detlef Koshna of the European Space Agency said they have so far examined 90 percent of near-Earth objects larger than 1 km. None of these objects will be dangerous to our planet in the next hundred years. But to protect Earth from small asteroids, NASA scientists, together with the Applied Physics Laboratory, created the DART project. It represents a spacecraft that will collide with an asteroid to change its orbit.

The DART ship was launched into space on a Falcon 9 rocket in November 2021. He must face the Dimorphos. Scientists believe that this will happen on September 26, 2022. At the same time, the asteroid itself is not dangerous to Earth.

The main disadvantage of the DART project is its inability to react quickly to danger. In this case, the target should be set at least one year before its possible collision with Earth.

If it is necessary to protect the planet from sudden threats, experts turn to another method. This is a targeted nuclear attack on a cosmic body. A study published in 2021 found that it could destroy a small asteroid. For example, a missile with a 1 Mt warhead can intercept at least 99 percent of the impact mass of a 100 m diameter asteroid.

Source: Ferra

Previous articleH&M announced its withdrawal from Russia
Next articleBeauty demands sacrifice: New MacBook Air scratches too easily

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here