{"id":19491,"date":"2016-01-20T19:07:25","date_gmt":"2016-01-20T11:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nudge-em-or-nuke-em-asteroid-defense-plans-take-shape-in-u-s-and-russia\/"},"modified":"2016-01-20T19:07:25","modified_gmt":"2016-01-20T11:07:25","slug":"nudge-em-or-nuke-em-asteroid-defense-plans-take-shape-in-u-s-and-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nudge-em-or-nuke-em-asteroid-defense-plans-take-shape-in-u-s-and-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Nudge \u2019em or nuke \u2019em: Asteroid defense plans take shape in U.S. and Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Asteroid
An artist\u2019s conception shows an asteroid entering Earth\u2019s atmosphere. (Credit: NASA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What should the world do about the potential threat of a catastrophic asteroid collision? This month NASA established the Planetary Defense Coordination Office to manage the issue. Meanwhile, the Russians and the Europeans are talking about diverting nasty space rocks with nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

All this comes as cosmic threats are getting ready to hit prime time, in the form of an NBC comedy titled \u201cYou, Me and the Apocalypse.\u201d (The threat in this case is a comet, not an asteroid.)<\/p>\n

Former astronaut Ed Lu, CEO of the B612 Foundation, is glad for all the attention. For years, B612 has been trying to raise awareness about the asteroid threat, with mixed success. In a statement posted on Facebook today, Lu noted that NASA\u2019s actions come in response to a highly critical internal report about NASA\u2019s asteroid-hunting effort. Another indication of a turning tide is contained in last month\u2019s omnibus spending bill, which sets aside $50 million for the effort during fiscal year 2016. That\u2019s 10 times more than NASA was spending in 2010.<\/p>\n

The Planetary Defense Coordination Office will focus on detecting objects as small as 100 feet (30 meters) across. That category includes asteroids and comets that may not pose an \u201cArmageddon\u201d-style threat to global civilization, but could still wipe out a city. (In comparison, the asteroid that blew up over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in 2013 is thought to have been about 60 feet wide.)<\/p>\n