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A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 23 June 2018

U.S. stepping up Earth’s protection from asteroids, comets

By MARCIA DUNN, “Part of what this action
AP Aerospace Writer plan is about is to investi-
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. gate other technologies,
(AP) — The U.S. govern- techniques for both deflec-
ment is stepping up efforts tion and disruption of the
to protect the planet from asteroid,” he told reporters.
incoming asteroids that Most of the extra work
could wipe out entire re- can be done with existing
gions or even continents. funds, said Aaron Miles of
The National Science and the White House Office of
Technology Council re- Science and Technology
leased a report Wednes- Policy.
day calling for improved “This is more about figuring
asteroid detection, track- out how to use those re-
ing and deflection. NASA sources smartly,” he said.
is participating, along with The bottom line, officials
federal emergency, mili- said, is the U.S. government
tary, White House and oth- wants to be prepared to
er officials. decide which action is best
For now, scientists know In this Feb. 15, 2013 image made from a dashboard camera video, a meteor streaks through the if needed.
of no asteroids or comets sky over Chelyabinsk, about 930 miles east of Moscow. Scientists hope to learn a lot
heading our way. But one Associated Press more about asteroids from
could sneak up on us, and from striking, according to and exploded over Che- take years to attempt to a pair of missions currently
that’s why the government Johnson. But such short no- lyabinsk, Russia, damaging turn away a potential killer underway. NASA’s Osiris-
wants a better plan. tice would give the world thousands of buildings and asteroid — several years to Rex spacecraft will reach
NASA’s planetary defense time, at least, to evacu- causing widespread inju- build a spacecraft then an- the asteroid Bennu later this
officer, Lindley Johnson, ate the area it might hit, he ries. other few years to get it to year and return samples in
said scientists have found said. An asteroid double or even the target. Ideally, he’d like 2023, and Japan’s Hyabu-
95 percent of all these Ground telescopes are triple in size exploded over at least 10 years’ advance sa 2 is closing in on the as-
near-Earth objects mea- good at picking up aster- Tunguska, Russia, in 1908, notice. teroid Ryugu, with samples
suring one kilometer (two- oids zooming into the in- leveling 770 square miles A mission to defend planet to be returned in 2020.
thirds of a mile) or bigger. ner solar system and ap- (2,000 square kilometers) of Earth could involve hitting Forget about sending as-
But the hunt is still on for the proaching from the night forest. the asteroid or comet with tronauts, Hollywood style.
remaining 5 percent and side of Earth, Johnson said. According to the report big, fast-moving robotic “It makes a good movie,
smaller rocks that could still What’s difficult to detect released Wednesday, ca- spacecraft in hopes of but we did not see in our
inflict big damage. are rocks that have already sualties could be in the mil- changing its path; or worst study any technique that
Altogether, NASA has cata- zipped past the sun and lions if a similar event struck case, launching a nuclear would require the involve-
loged 18,310 objects of all are heading out of the solar New York City. device not to blow up the ment of astronauts,” John-
sizes. Slightly more than 800 system, approaching from A giant space rock wiped asteroid but rather to su- son told reporters. Missions
are 460 feet (140 meters) or the day side. That’s ap- out the dinosaurs when it perheat its surface and like this lasting months or
bigger. parently what happened smacked into Mexico’s Yu- blow off enough material years make it difficult if not
There’s no quick solution if in 2013 when an asteroid catan peninsula some 65 to divert it. impossible for humans, giv-
a space rock is suddenly about 66 feet (20 meters) million years ago. All that involves current en current technology, he
days, weeks or even months in size suddenly appeared Johnson stressed it would technology, Johnson said. noted.q

Federal study: Chemicals toxic at levels EPA thought safe

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP) from publication. of 70 parts per trillion. The chemicals have been ministration blocked the
— The chemicals used by The federal Agency for The DuPont Co., which linked to cancer, immune study, concerned that it
a West Virginia factory to Toxic Substances and Dis- used the chemicals to effects and adverse devel- could result in a “public re-
make non-stick products ease Registry released the create non-stick products opmental effects on fetus- lations nightmare.”
are dangerous at levels the study on PFAS chemicals such as Teflon, now faces es during pregnancy. Before it was released, the
U.S. Environmental Protec- Wednesday, news outlets thousands of lawsuits from Lawmakers had urged the state’s U.S. senators —Dem-
tion Agency had thought reported. It said the chemi- people living near its Park- EPA in May to publish the ocrat Joe Manchin and
were safe, according to cals are dangerous at levels ersburg-area Washington study after Politico report- Republican Shelley Moore
a federal study that had around 10 times lower than Works plant who say their ed it had been blocked. Capito — had urged the
been previously blocked the EPA’s advised exposure water was contaminated. Politico said the Trump ad- EPA to come forward with
the study.
Manchin said Wednesday
that the study paved the
way for “additional steps
to address these issues in
West Virginia and continue
to pursue a definitive rule
that sets maximum limits on
these chemicals.”
Capito said the report was
“critical to ensuring the
health of West Virginians.”q