An expert on a news story I heard said it would take a warning period of months, not hours or a day, to stop a deadly asteroid strike.
Congress many times dragged its feet on this (and also strengthening the shielding of the power grid) and has left us helpless. The impact would cool off the world and kill us slowly and set off riots for food,water and medical care.
Someday within the next 20 years, scientists say, the likelihood of a major disastrous strike against the Earth is 100% for practical mathematical purposes. Like, will the northeast US have a major freeze and heavy snow in the next year—yes.
We have no practical system worked out but it could entail bumping the object to move it off course or landing on it to propel it somewhere. Blowing it up would set off big fragments hitting somewhere.
Comforting to know we can rebuild, test, and launch a space shuttle-ish craft in a matter of months...
Someday within the next 20 years, scientists say, the likelihood of a major disastrous strike against the Earth is 100% for practical mathematical purposes. Yet we have not had one in our lifetimes and long before then.