NASA’s Anti-Asteroid Spacecraft Might Not Be Able To Stop Incoming Asteroid, Even Using Nukes


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There is an extremely unstable asteroid hurtling through space on a possible collision course with Earth and NASA admits they might not be able to stop it. Asteroid Bennu is projected to smash into Earth in 2135. NASA has a specially designated spacecraft that is supposed to alter the course of asteroids headed to our planet, but NASA has said they might now be able to prevent a potentially cataclysmic collision.

Asteroid Bennu is “dynamically unstable” and is projected to collide with Earth in 2135. The space rock is 1,664 times heavier than the Titanic, the width of five football fields, and the height of the Empire State Building. The massive asteroid has the potential to unleash 1,200 megatons of energy if it smashes into our planet, that would be the power of 80,000 Hiroshima nuclear bombs. For these reasons, scientists have called the Bennu Asteroid one of the most potentially hazardous asteroids.

NASA has been working on a spacecraft named HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response vehicle). This spaceship is supposed to nudge potentially world-ending asteroids away from colliding with Earth. Members of a US ‘national planetary defence team’ have published a study warning of the possible “dire” consequences of the asteroid colliding with Earth. The 30-foot big, 8.8-ton craft might not have enough muscle to push the doomsday asteroid from hitting Earth.

The secondary plan is to use the HAMMER spacecraft to deliver a payload of nukes to destroy the asteroid. That also might be futile. Using nuclear weapons to obliterate the asteroid might only break up the massive space rock and then have radioactive rock shower down on Earth.

There is still plenty of time to develop another option, plus it is not a sure thing that Asteroid Bennu ends us. Currently, scientists estimate there is a 1 in 2,700 chance of the asteroid hitting Earth on September 25, 2135. But humans need to start developing a defense plan for Asteroid Bennu because it would take a minimum of 7.4 years to reach the asteroid in enough time to alter its course. On the bright side, you’ll be dead by then, so there’s that.

[NYP]