NASA and Global Experts Prepare for Potential Asteroid Impacts, Learning from the Fate of the Dinosaurs
WASHINGTON – While the likelihood remains low, Earth faces a continuous, albeit small, risk from asteroid and meteorite impacts – a threat that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago and continues to drive ongoing readiness by NASA and international scientists. Every two years, experts convene to simulate impact scenarios and refine planetary defense strategies, ensuring humanity is better prepared than its prehistoric predecessors.
The consequences of a large-scale impact are catastrophic. The most famous example is the meteorite believed to have caused the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event,eliminating even colossal dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Brachiosaurus,which reached the size of a four-story building. The impactor itself was approximately ten kilometers in diameter. Though a similar event isn’t anticipated in the near future, the potential devastation necessitates proactive planning.
To that end, NASA organizes a “Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise” biennially.During these exercises, international experts collaborate to develop strategies for minimizing the impact of a potential asteroid or planetoïde. the goal is to ensure that should a large space rock enter Earth’s atmosphere, humanity will be equipped to respond effectively – a stark contrast to the fate of the dinosaurs.