{"id":4072,"date":"2026-02-17T17:03:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/17\/nasa-warns-that-earth-is-defenceless-against-killer-asteroids\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:03:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:03:55","slug":"nasa-warns-that-earth-is-defenceless-against-killer-asteroids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/17\/nasa-warns-that-earth-is-defenceless-against-killer-asteroids\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA warns that Earth is defenceless against killer asteroids"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-02-17 17:03:52<\/b>
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Earth is currently powerless to stop thousands of “city killer” asteroids hurtling through space near our planet, NASA chiefs have warned.

\nExperts estimate there are around 15,000 medium-sized space rocks still undetected and potentially within striking distance of Earth.

\nA 2022 mission known as Dart proved that, in theory, humanity could knock a dangerous asteroid off course using a spacecraft. But scientists say there is no ready-to-launch defence system in place if a real threat emerged tomorrow.

\nDart mission chief Dr Nancy Chabot, from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, said: “We worry about these city killer asteroids.

\n“Dart was a great demonstration but we don\u2019t have that sitting around ready to go if there was a threat we needed to use it for.

\n“We don\u2019t know where 50 per cent of the 140-metre asteroids are, which is a concern.

\n“We would not have any way to go and actively deflect one right now.

\n“We could be prepared but I don\u2019t see that investment being made.”

\nSpeaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Arizona, NASA\u2019s Planetary Defense Officer Dr Kelly Fast admitted the unknown objects are the most alarming.

\nShe said: “What keeps me up at night is the asteroids we don\u2019t know about.

\n“Small stuff is hitting us all the time so we\u2019re not so much worried about that.

\n“And we\u2019re not so worried about the large ones from the movies because we know where they are.

\n“It\u2019s the ones in between, about 140 metres and larger, that could really do regional rather than global damage and we don\u2019t know where they are.

\n“It\u2019s estimated there are about 25,000 of those and we\u2019re only about 40 per cent of the way through.

\n“It takes time to find them, even with the best telescopes.”

\nNASA plans to launch a new mission, Surveyor, in 2027, aiming to detect at least 90 per cent of asteroids wider than 140 metres within 10 years.

\nUntil then, experts say Earth remains largely exposed.
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