Sentinel

United Nations to Adopt Asteroid Defense Plan

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...

T Astronauts point to next frontier: Stopping killer asteroids

For most people, going into outer space would be enough of a claim to fame — but the way astronaut Rusty Schweickart sees it, saving the world from killer asteroids is far more significant. "Apollo and Skylab were great experiences for me personally, but my NEO...

Global Effort Needed to Defend Earth from Asteroids, Astronauts Tell UN

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...

Global Effort Planned to Defend Earth from Asteroids

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 discussed the...

Asteroid Defense Plan Adopted By United Nations

The United Nations is adopting a plan to defend the world against threatening asteroids. The decision came after recommendations by former astronauts, including Ed Lu, who argued that the planet needs to be defended against potential rogue asteroids. Lu used the Chelyabinsk meteor as an example,...

How do you spot an incoming asteroid anyway?

They're dark, difficult to see from the surface of the planet, and there are a lot of them floating in the solar system. Scientists are now looking into new, higher-tech ways to find and track near-Earth objects, but for now, much of the hard work...

UN Mulls Plan to Defend Against Earth-Demolishing Asteroids

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...

UN Mounts Asteroid Defense Plan Following ‘Bad Luck’ Of Chelyabinsk Meteor

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...