Cash Plea To Save Earth
Updated: 13:16, Tuesday March 06, 2007
NASA officials say they need $1bn to identify every asteroid which poses a threat to Earth.
The American space agency says it has the skills at its disposal, but not the cash.
In a report to be released later this week, officials say the cost to find at least 90% of the 20,000 potentially hazardous asteroids and comets by 2020 would be about $1bn.
Congress asked NASA in 2005 to come up with a plan to track most killer asteroids and propose how to deflect the potentially catastrophic ones.
"We know what to do, we just don't have the money," said Simon Worden, director of NASA's Ames Research Centre.
The money is needed to track asteroids which are bigger than 140m in diameter - slightly smaller than the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Even if they do not strike earth, if they explode nearby they have the potential to destroy a small US state.
NASA is already is tracking larger objects, at least 1,005m in diameter, which could wipe out most life on Earth - the suspected fate of the dinosaurs.
However, even this project - which has spotted 769 asteroids and comets, none on a course to hit Earth - is behind schedule.
Earth got a scare in 2004, when initial readings suggested an 885-foot asteroid called 99942 Apophis seemed to have had a chance of hitting Earth in 2029.
However, scientists now say there is a one in 45,000 chance that it could hit the Pacific Ocean in 2036, creating a devastating tsunami.
I think there should probably be more funding for NASA. Mapping the dangerous objects roaming around in space seems to be a good outlet for that funding.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
I must say though getting wiped out by an asteroid would be an alright way to go though, as long as you didnt survive it at all.. Think about it, you would look up see it, I dont know how long it would take to hit, but when it did it would be a loud boom and then utter devastation. If the human race did survive imagine the peace it would bring amongst different ethnic and religious groups Everything would have to start all over No war, no hate SURVIVAL
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
- Bertrand Russell
"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the
enemy." - George Washington
I must say though getting wiped out by an asteroid would be an alright way to go though, as long as you didnt survive it at all.. Think about it, you would look up see it, I dont know how long it would take to hit, but when it did it would be a loud boom and then utter devastation. If the human race did survive imagine the peace it would bring amongst different ethnic and religious groups Everything would have to start all over No war, no hate SURVIVAL
Don't you think the fight for survival could possibly create even more animosity between groups? Perhaps not.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
Bruce Willis already died trying to save the world from an asteroid, hes just dying hard now.
On a serious note, I would say its a waste of money idea, it wouldnt be the first by the US. If an asteroid was to destroy the whole earth then Allah SWT would have informed us of that fact. Although an asteroid still might hit and destroy a large portion of a certain country. Lets wait till the fireballs start falling at least, before anymore funding is given to NASA.
Bruce Willis already died trying to save the world from an asteroid, hes just dying hard now.
On a serious note, I would say its a waste of money idea, it wouldnt be the first by the US. If an asteroid was to destroy the whole earth then Allah SWT would have informed us of that fact. Although an asteroid still might hit and destroy a large portion of a certain country. Lets wait till the fireballs start falling at least, before anymore funding is given to NASA.
If the U.S. government can spend 15 million on programs intended to study the effects of cow gas in the atmosphere, surely we can spare a few million to study what is actually moving around out there in space.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
Don't you think the fight for survival could possibly create even more animosity between groups? Perhaps not.
Maybe, I do think that if there was complete global destruction though that there would be at least a brief period of banning together, of course many people consider me to be an optimist
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
- Bertrand Russell
"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the
enemy." - George Washington
Bruce Willis already died trying to save the world from an asteroid, hes just dying hard now.
On a serious note, I would say its a waste of money idea, it wouldnt be the first by the US. If an asteroid was to destroy the whole earth then Allah SWT would have informed us of that fact. Although an asteroid still might hit and destroy a large portion of a certain country. Lets wait till the fireballs start falling at least, before anymore funding is given to NASA.
Allah apparently neglected to tell the faithful Muslims of Aceh that a Tsunami was coming.
I have never understood this fatalism idea. In order to do something about an asteroid on a collision course, you need to know one or two decades ahead of time. I can imagine that a big iron ball 140 m across travelling at 12-20 thousand miles per hr could ruin one's whole day.
all in all nasa cant control this, if it is Allah's will then nothing can prevent it.
Our Lord! Verily, we have heard the call of one calling to Faith: 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed.
Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and expiate from us our evil deeds, and make us die (in the state of righteousness) along with Al-Abrar
Do they have the technology to destroy or change the course of these asteroids? If not, charting them seems rather a pointless waste of a lot of money. All it'd get us is some forewarning of an impending doom we couldn't stop.
I'd rather be suprised personally, than live with that on my mind.
Now if they can actually stop these things, thats another matter.
But I'm not sure I'd even want to directly fund that technology.
Earth has been around for a long time and not too often have we been destroyed or even severely effected by asteroids. The last ice age was the last earth changing one, no?
If a tornado is bearing down on you, do you stand there and await death because it is "God's will", or do you seek shelter?
well this is all chance. how can they know exactly which point an asteroid will hit etc?
Our Lord! Verily, we have heard the call of one calling to Faith: 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed.
Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and expiate from us our evil deeds, and make us die (in the state of righteousness) along with Al-Abrar
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Everything would have to start all over
No war, no hate SURVIVAL
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