EP 30 · 4:27

Why this is historically profound for life on Earth

From Can We Stop an Asteroid? The Physics Behind NASA’s DART Mission

Episode
4/16
Watch Can We Stop an Asteroid? The Physics Behind NASA’s DART Mission
In this chapter

DART gives planetary defense a practical demonstration of changing an asteroid's motion rather than only predicting it. Krishna frames that result as a striking development in humanity's ability to respond to a natural hazard. The achievement establishes a capability, not a guarantee that every future impact threat can be prevented.

Transcript

217 words · auto-generated from the episode video

4:27berry center of that two moon system going around the sun. M >> meaning those two asteroids now have a different orbit around the sun itself because of that crash on its moon. >> Does that make sense? >> It makes total sense. And I I want to briefly talk about why the implications of something like this are so historical. >> You know, Earth has been around for 4 billion Yep. >> years. >> Life on Earth has been around for hundreds of millions of years. Yep. >> Some simple life billions of years. >> Yeah. And in the entirety of that time period, the life on Earth has never had control of its own destiny. >> Yeah. >> As it relates to celestial objects and

5:10their impact on the planet. >> So what you're suggesting is that humanity for the first time in the 4 plus billionyear history of Earth >> Yeah. has finally enabled itself to have agency on its cosmic destiny. >> Yeah. >> Based on these objects potentially coming in to impact us. >> Exactly. >> This is a very interesting story for us to understand. >> Yes. Yes. And um I just want to say a quote from the lead author of that paper. He said, "If an asteroid is ever

From the episode
  1. EP 30

    Can We Stop an Asteroid? The Physics Behind NASA’s DART Mission

    How NASA’s DART mission proved we can nudge an asteroid—and maybe save Earth.

    Can We Stop an Asteroid? The Physics Behind NASA’s DART Mission

AstrophysicsOrbital MechanicsPlanetary DefensePrecision Measurement