Russia wants to knock huge asteroid off course
Russia is considering sending a spacecraft to a large asteroid to knock it off its path and prevent a possible collision with Earth, the head of the country's space agency said yesterday.
Anatoly Perminov said the space agency will hold a meeting soon to assess a mission to Apophis, saying it would invite NASA, the European Space Agency, the Chinese space agency and others to join in.
When the 270-metre asteroid was first discovered in 2004 astronomers estimated the chances of it smashing into Earth in its first flyby in 2029 were as high as 1-in-37, but have since lowered their estimate.
Further studies ruled out the possibility of an impact in 2029, when the asteroid is expected to come no closer than 29,450km above Earth's surface, but they indicated a small possibility of a hit on subsequent encounters.
Mr Perminov wouldn't disclose details of the project, saying that they still need to be worked out.But he said it wouldn't require nuclear explosions.
Irish Independent
