Posted on 02/19/2007 1:35:54 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 18) - An asteroid may come uncomfortably close to Earth in 2036 and the United Nations should assume responsibility for a space mission to deflect it, a group of astronauts, engineers and scientists said on Saturday.
Astronomers are monitoring an asteroid named Apophis, which has a 1 in 45,000 chance of striking Earth on April 13, 2036.
Although the odds of an impact by this particular asteroid are low, a recent congressional mandate for NASA to upgrade its tracking of near-Earth asteroids is expected to uncover hundreds, if not thousands of threatening space rocks in the near future, former astronaut Rusty Schweickart said.
"It's not just Apophis we're looking at. Every country is at risk. We need a set of general principles to deal with this issue," Schweickart, a member of the Apollo 9 crew that orbited the earth in March 1969, told an American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in San Francisco.
Schweickart plans to present an update next week to the U.N. Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on plans to develop a blueprint for a global response to an asteroid threat.
The Association of Space Explorers, a group of former astronauts and cosmonauts, intends to host a series of high-level workshops this year to flesh out the plan and will make a formal proposal to the U.N. in 2009, he said.
With the United Nations at the helm...
WE ARE DOOMED!
UN Blue Helmets Kick Asteroid
As much as I can be worried about something that is completely beyond my control, that is..
What are they going to do? Send it a "strongly worded" letter demanding it stop?
Interestingly enough a few weeks ago a friend and I were talking after seeing Independence Day about the fact this world who hates us supposedly would all be counting on us as the only people who could save the rest of the world from any alien attack or asteroid.
I'd want to tell Europe to call their friend Osama.
I cannot comprehend that anyone would actually want the UN in charge of saving the world.
It's planetary suicide
The UN has a comittee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space? WHAT?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No wonder they can't find their butts with both hands.
French Peacekeepers will be sent!
Any exact coordinates on where or what country it will fall? Because in my opinion if it's headin' for Darfur, Sudan, United Nations will surely ignore it... except for Gaza or Kosovo.
UN should have a countermeasure ready by 2050.
Do you think asteroids pose a serious threat to Earth?
Yes 78% No 22%
Total Votes: 346,925
Is the U.N. the right agency to address the threat?
Yes 54% No 46%
Total Votes: 338,742
About what I expected from AOL!
My guess is that having seen the movie, the UN will call upon Bruec Willis.
More than likely Tim Robbins will fill the role...
too busy finding other butts with both hands
Whoops! That's Bruce, not Bruec.
That's something I'd trust the UN to do.
Conclusion: 78% of the poll respondents went government schools where the highest math course offered was arithmetic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.