How to Kill an Asteroid: The Real Science of Planetary Defense

By Robin George Andrews

Book Overview

There are approximately 25,000 "city killer" asteroids in near-Earth orbit--and most are yet to be found. Small enough to evade detection, they are capable of large-scale destruction, and represent our greatest cosmic threat. But in September 2022, against all odds, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission deliberately crashed a spacecraft into a carefully selected city killer, altering the asteroid's orbit and proving that we stand a chance against them.

In How to Kill an Asteroid, award-winning science journalist Robin George Andrews--who was at DART mission control when it happened--reveals the development of the technology that made it possible, from spotting elusive asteroids and comets to figuring out their geologic defenses and orchestrating a deflection campaign. In a propulsive narrative that reads like a sci-fi thriller, Andrews tells the story of the planetary defense movement, and introduces the international team of scientists and engineers now working to protect Earth.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1324050195
• ISBN13: 9781324050193
• Release Date: October 2024
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.4"