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Projects: Space Information

Near Earth Objects and Planetary Defense

A film about Defending the Earth

Giant asteroid impact on early Earth
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Credit: Don Davis/NASA

Could a space rock hit Earth and cause widespread devastation?

What could we do if we found an asteroid or comet on a collision course with Earth?

The Planetary Society is working with the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) on getting the word out about hazardous near-Earth objects and what can be done to defend Earth.

SGAC has created a film addressing the threat of near-Earth objects and the need for Planetary Defense. In this 30-minute documentary, international experts give their opinions on how to plan, pay for, build, and safely execute a mission to stop an asteroid or comet.

First conceived at the 2008 Space Generation Congress, the documentary uses footage from interviews made in April at the 2009 Planetary Defense Conference in Granada, Spain. At the same time, the film promotes the first "Youth of Defense Conference" which will be held in Romania in 2011.

The movie is made of four sections, each focusing on one important aspect regarding asteroid impact: definition and understanding, deflection methods, public awareness and asteroid exploitation.

Watch the entire film at spacegeneration.org/node/2681.