What are planetary defense strategies?

Planetary defense strategies are ways we protect Earth from space rocks that might crash into it.

Imagine you're playing a game of catch, but instead of a ball, your friend throws a big rock, and it's heading straight for you. That’s kind of what happens when an asteroid or comet comes our way. We need ways to stop them from hitting us like that.

One strategy is to send a spacecraft to bump the space rock gently, so it changes direction, just like giving a little push to a toy car to make it go somewhere else.

Another way is to break the space rock into smaller pieces. If it’s broken up before it gets too close, it might not hit us at all, or it might cause less damage when it does.

Sometimes we use explosions in space, like a big firecracker, to push the rock away from Earth.

We’re learning more every day about how to keep our planet safe from these cosmic visitors!