How to Prevent Killer Asteroids: Three Key Steps

Fast Summary

• NASA DART Mission: NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) successfully crashed into the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022 to demonstrate how impacts can alter an asteroid’s trajectory, marking a meaningful milestone for planetary defense.
• Dimorphos Impact Study: The collision nudged Dimorphos and initiated a new era in planetary defense technologies. Future missions could replicate this strategy if Earth faces an asteroid threat.
• NEO Detection & Risks: While 95% of large Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) over 1 km are tracked globally, only about 7% of city-killer asteroids (~50 meters) have been identified due to their small size and dim visibility.
• Key Missions:

– ESA’s Hera Mission (launch: 2024, rendezvous: 2026) will analyze the aftermath of DART’s impact on Dimorphos.
– Japan’s Hayabusa2 extension plans encounters with two NEOs in 2026 and 2031.
– NASA’s NEO Surveyor telescope (launch as early as 2027) aims to locate thousands more hazardous objects by scanning infrared wavelengths from space.

Indian Opinion Analysis

India has made significant strides in space exploration but remains new to discussions surrounding planetary defense against asteroids. While international missions like DART highlight technological breakthroughs, India’s potential inclusion through its growing space program-ISRO-could establish critical roles in detection or deflection technologies.Collaborating strategically with global initiatives like ESA or NASA would enrich expertise while addressing gaps concerning smaller but impactful “city-killer” asteroids.

This issue underscores the importance of expanding resources for long-term observations via better-equipped observatories, such as ISRO’s possible contribution through satellite technology or analytical systems.Participating more actively could also elevate India’s scientific stature amid increasing interest worldwide toward ensuring human safety from plausible disasters caused by celestial threats.Read More