Report: NASA can't keep up with killer asteroids

[steven johnson]

NASA says there are 20,000 asteroids and comets in our solar system that are potential threats -- larger than 460 feet in diameter. So far, they've only located 6,000 of these objects.

Oh damn, more 'rocks of mass destruction.'

NASA is charged with spotting most of the asteroids that pose a threat to Earth but doesn't have the money to complete the job, a federal report says.

Specifically, the mission calls for NASA, by the year 2020, to locate 90 percent of the potentially deadly rocks hurtling through space. The agency says it's been able to complete about one-third of its assignment with the current telescope system.

NASA estimates that there are about 20,000 asteroids and comets in our solar system that are potential threats. They are larger than 460 feet in diameter — slightly smaller than the Superdome in New Orleans. So far, scientists know where about 6,000 of these objects are.

NASA calculated that to spot the asteroids as required by law would mean spending about $800 million between now and 2020, either with a new ground-based telescope or a space observation system, Johnson said. If NASA got only $300 million it could find most asteroids bigger than 1,000 feet across, he said.

Report: NASA can't keep up with killer asteroids

[provis99]

1. Killer asteroids?

So send a spaceman up with a giant tube of Preparation H.

[Island Blue]

2. So THAT'S how Pres. Obama plans to kill the old people.

Genius.

[valerief]

3. I'm still waiting for the killer bees. nt

[sudopod]

4. It'd be funny

if it weren't so serious. Bright side is, we wouldn't need to spend a whole lot to do have a serious search screen. According to the article, the srs bzns asteroids could all be caught for 30 million a year. Hell, we spend more than that on Dick Cheney's cybernetic parts every year.

[Orsino]

5. What we need is bipartisanship.