Sergey Khaibrakhmanov was sleeping when he heard the explosion. Startled, his heart already pounding, he jumped awake in bed. What the hell was that? It was loud, whatever it was, enough to shake the apartment and scare him half to death. Did a plane just crash? He...
When a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in February, the world’s space agencies found out along with the rest of us, on Twitter and YouTube. That, says former astronaut Ed Lu, is unacceptable—and the United Nations agrees. Last week the General Assembly approved a set...
NEW YORK — Members of the United Nations met with distinguished astronauts and cosmonauts this week in New York to begin implementing the first-ever international contingency plan for defending Earth against catastrophic asteroid strikes. Six of the space travelers involved in these U.N. discussions spoke about...
The United Nations is to adopt an asteroid defence plan. The decision emerged following recommendations from concerned former astronauts, including Ed Lu, who suggested it was unacceptable that many people within the space industry only knew about the Chelyabinsk meteor because it appeared on their...
If a deadly asteroid takes aim at Earth, the United Nations will be on the case. The UN General Assembly last week agreed to set up an International Asteroid Warning Group that will compile and share information about potentially dangerous space rocks. Should an asteroid...
This week, the UN General Assembly approved concrete measures to help prevent asteroid disasters, as a result of discussions over 12 years by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and its Action Team 14 (AT-14) on Near-Earth Objects, comprised of...
If scientists were to discover, later this week, that an asteroid large enough to destroy the Earth will smash into the planet in a years’ time, humanity would have only one course of action, says former astronaut Russell Schweickart: “Make yourself a nice cocktail and...
Astronomers have warned that our planet is long overdue for a defense plan against catastrophic asteroid collisions. When it comes to deflecting Earth-obliterating celestial bodies, short of a superhero capable of punching the approaching rock back into outer space, there is no single force dedicated...
The Exploding Asteroid Threat WATCH LIVE: Defending Earth From Asteroids On October 25, 2013, a panel of astronauts and cosmonauts discussed the asteroid threat and what we can do to prevent impacts and injury. Moderated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, this panel was hosted by the American Museum of...
The explosion over Chelyabinsk, Russia this past February made the danger of asteroids loud and clear. Although it is only 17 meters (56 feet) in diameter, the asteroid's explosion injured 1000 people and shattered nearly every window in the Russian city. And humans know of...