NASA announced an 18-nation exercise against “alien assassins” – Information Technology

The exercise targeted the asteroid Apophis, one of the objects identified as having the potential to have a “significant impact” on Earth in 2029.

The exercise, which took place in December 2020, is coordinated by the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), with the participation of 100 scientists. Top school from 18 countries. The results have just been published by NASA and partners in a study just published in the Planetary Science Journal.

NASA and many space agencies around the world have just undergone an exercise aimed at Apophis, one of the asteroids dangerous to Earth – Photo: NASA

According to SciTech Daily, Apophis was discovered in 2004 and has long been identified as having the potential to have a significant impact on Earth in 2029. A threatening close is also forecast in December. 2020.

Scientists used this close encounter to organize an exercise. The Small Planet Center (MPC) – the agency in charge of calculations of small objects – assumed Apophis as a strange, unexpected object to test the systematic binding response from space agencies, astronomical observatories around the world.

Apophis first appeared on December 4, 2020 in the lens of the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona – USA, funded by NASA. The Terrestrial Final Warning System (ATLAS), the Panoramic Survey Telescope and the Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) located in Hawaii immediately entered the war.

When Apophis came into view of NEOWISE – a wide-field infrared space telescope from NASA – MPC linked these observations with observations from ground-based observatories to model the asteroid’s motion. planet, thereby helping to predict its path in the next close encounters.

In March 2021, astronomers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Secondary Laboratory (JPL) continued to use the 70 m high Goldstone Solar System Radar located in California – USA to accurately measure the velocity and distance of the spacecraft. small planet.

These data will provide early and necessary warning to attack Apophis directly if it really has a high chance of hitting Earth in 2029 or earlier, thereby helping us to launch operations in time. blow it away.

Currently, NASA has an experimental “suicide” spacecraft on its way to crash into the “moon” of the asteroid Dimorphos as part of planetary defense testing, China also plans to launch a similar spacecraft into the moon. mid-decade.

However, the exercise with Apophis brought unexpected good news. Data from dozens of space and ground-based telescopes, and analysis by a team of more than 100 scientists, confirm its risk is lower than previously estimated: Apophis will not pose a threat to Earth for at least for at least next 100 years.

Scientist Michael Kelley from PDCO, pointed out: “To see the planetary protection community come together during Apophis’ closest approach is impressive. Even during a pandemic, when so many people are taking part in the exercise. Having to work remotely, we were still able to detect, monitor and learn more about potential hazards with great efficiency. The exercise was a success.”

Despite more time with Apophis, the scientists remained cautious and continued to pursue research related to planetary defense, ready for unexpected assassins. It’s unlikely that an asteroid-like asteroid would cause the extinct dinosaurs to crash into Earth, but if it did, we wouldn’t get a second chance.