Space agencies around the world are working on building planetary defense capabilities to protect Earth from asteroids and ISRO too is keen to take responsibility in this regard. Representative Image/AP
Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid with a diameter of 370 metres, is being called the most dangerous of the current era, will fly by us on April 13, 2029 and again in 2036. As a leading space-faring nation, India too must take responsibility for protecting the Earth from asteroids, said Dr S Somanath
A massive asteroid blast flattened about 2,200 square kilometers of dense forest, destroying nearly 80 million trees in Tunguska, a remote location in Siberia, on June 30, 1908. Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid that is being called the most dangerous of the current era with a diameter of 370 meters, will fly past us on April 13, 2029 and again in 2036. The impact of an asteroid of 10 km or larger is considered an extinction-scale event, which will make most species extinct as a result of the aftermath. It is believed that such an impact caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Space agencies around the world are working on building planetary defense capabilities to protect the Earth from asteroids and ISRO is also keen to take responsibility in this regard.
“Our lifespan is 70-80 years and we don’t see such a catastrophe in our lifetime, so we assume that it is not likely. If you look at the history of the world and the universe, these events are common… approach of an asteroid towards planets and its impact. I have seen an asteroid hit Jupiter, Shoemaker-Levy. If such an event happens on Earth, we are all extinct,” said ISRO chief S Somanath. “These are real possibilities. We have to prepare ourselves. We don’t want it to happen to Mother Earth. We want humanity and all life forms to live here. But we cannot stop it. We have to find alternatives. So we have a method by which we can deflect it. We can detect its approach to Earth and take it away and sometimes it is also impossible. So there is a need to develop technology, predictive capabilities, ability to send heavier props there to deflect it, improve observation and collaborate with other countries for a protocol.”
In recent years, several scientific missions for asteroid exploration and sample return have significantly improved the understanding of asteroids. The recent successful demonstration of kinetic impactor technology for asteroid deflection by the DART mission has further fueled global interest in this field. ISRO says it has also initiated targeted activities for planetary defense.
“It will take shape in the coming days. When the threat becomes real, humanity will come together and work on it. As a leading space nation, we have to take responsibility. It is not just for India alone, it is for the entire world that we have to take responsibility to prepare and develop technical capacity, programming capacity and the ability to work with other agencies,” the ISRO chief said.
On World Asteroid Day (June 30), ISRO also organized a workshop where leading experts from space agencies such as JAXA and ESA gave technical presentations on the Hayabusa-2 asteroid mission, ESA’s ongoing planetary defense and asteroid monitoring activities, and the role of organizations such as IAWN (International Asteroid Warning Network) and SMPAG (Space Mission Planning Advisory Group) in dealing with asteroid impact threats.
“Experiments are being conducted to find out if an asteroid is expected within a year and whether we are prepared to defend ourselves,” said Anil Kumar, deputy director of the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC).
