NASA chief has spoken out and confirmed that chances of a major asteroid crashing into our planet aren’t reserved merely for sci-fi movies.
As Jim Bridenstine explained, an apocalyptic asteroid could smash into Earth in our lifetime and change the world as we know it forever.
According to the NASA Chief, the best we can do is prepare for potential threats. Speaking about the matter at the 2019 Planetary Defense Conference that took place in Washington, D.C., Mr. Bridenstine said the U.S. should be fortifying defenses against potential threats from space.
“We have to make sure that people understand that this is not about Hollywood, it’s not about the movies,” the administrator said.
“This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know, right now, to host life and that is the planet Earth.”
At the conference, Bridenstine also recalled the Chelyabinsk Event that resulted in over 1,600 people getting injured. In 2013, a meteor blazed across the Ural Mountain range and caused a massive explosion with the strength of 20 Hiroshima atomic bombs.
While the incident only affected the minority of the population, Bridenstine claimed consequences could be apocalyptic if the asteroid was much larger.
“I wish I could tell you these events are exceptionally unique,” the NASA Chief said. “But they are not.”
As Bridenstine confirmed, the planetary defense is one of NASA’s top objectives. According to the reports, the agency is aiming to detect and track 90 % of asteroids ‘near’ our planet that are bigger than 459 feet.
NASA is also working on the project called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in hopes of being able to defend the Earth against future threats from the space. The program is set to lift off in 2021 and includes assistance from Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
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