Obama: Practice saving Earth

[VirusType2]

Scientists estimate there are about 100,000 asteroids and comets near Earth, but only about 20,000 are expected to pose any risk of impact. NASA has found about 7,000 of those objects, 1,000 of them flying in orbits that could potentially threaten the Earth in the future, NASA scientists have said.

If humanity doesn't develop a capability to meet space rocks head-on, and win, than it is almost a certainty that an asteroid will eventually threaten life on Earth, he added.

"By going to a near-Earth object, an asteroid, and perhaps even modifying its trajectory slightly, we would demonstrate a hallmark in human history," said Grunsfeld, who flew on three shuttle missions to fix the Hubble Space Telescope.

Take the moon, Grunsfeld said. Tycho crater, a huge impact crater on the moon visible from Earth, was created when an asteroid crashed into it 95 million years ago, he said.

"The dinosaurs saw that," Grunsfeld told reporters. "Thirty million years later they're snuffed out when the same thing happens to the Earth."

Full story/video:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100416/sc_space/nasasnewasteroidmissioncouldsavetheplanet

 

[Sheepo]

I'm kind of hoping an asteroid does almost kill us, because this would be freaking awesome.

 

[Tyguy]

I'm not worried, both because it won't be an issue during my lifetime and I believe we have the capability to actually go all Bruce Willis on those darn asteroids.

 

[MJ12]

i dun wanna cloze mah eyeees, i dun wannna fall asleeep cuz i miss u bebeh an i dont wanna mis a thinn

 

[VirusType2]

This would be cooler if it was a movie. You never get to see the awesome special FX in real space.

 

[Tyguy]

i dun wanna cloze mah eyeees, i dun wannna fall asleeep cuz i miss u bebeh an i dont wanna mis a thinn

"We win Gracie..."

 

[Sulkdodds]

WE WIN

YEAAAH

THAT PUNK ASTEROID DIDN'T KNOW WHAT DRILLED IT