Read the latest positive news, breakthroughs, and inspiring stories about planetary defense, curated daily by BrightWire.
A new NASA telescope is getting ready to spot dangerous asteroids that current telescopes can't see. The mission's giant sunshade just passed inspection, bringing us closer to protecting Earth from space rocks hiding in the Sun's glare.
Two years after NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid to test planetary defense, a European probe is arriving to study the results. The mission could turn a bold experiment into a proven strategy for protecting Earth.
Researchers studying 75 meteorites discovered that space rocks go through seven distinct phases as they journey through our atmosphere, losing up to 40% of their mass along the way. The breakthrough could help us better prepare for potentially dangerous asteroids heading toward Earth.
An object thought to be an asteroid since 1998 just revealed its true identity as a comet, and the discovery could help protect Earth from future space threats. Scientists figured it out by noticing the object wasn't where it should be.
China is preparing to slam a spacecraft into an asteroid at a jaw-dropping 9 kilometers per second, nearly 50% faster than NASA's groundbreaking mission. The ambitious planetary defense test could actually change an asteroid's path around Earth before 2030.
An asteroid discovered in 1998 just revealed its true identity: a rare "dark comet" that's been fooling scientists for nearly three decades. The discovery helps protect Earth by improving how we track space objects that might come our way.
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking system using orbiting spacecraft to reduce solar storm damage by over 50%. The technology could protect satellites, power grids, and astronauts from dangerous solar eruptions.
Japan's spacecraft just completed one of the closest asteroid flybys ever attempted, racing past a space rock at 11,000 miles per hour. The mission could help scientists learn how to protect Earth from future asteroid threats.
Researchers at Boston University have designed a fleet of spacecraft that could actively protect Earth from dangerous solar storms by strengthening our planet's natural magnetic shield. The system could cut storm intensity by more than half, safeguarding satellites, power grids, and communication networks.
In 1908, a cosmic airburst flattened 800 square miles of Siberian forest with hundreds times the energy of Hiroshima, yet left no crater. Scientists now understand why, and it's helping protect Earth today.
Space agencies have discovered 95% of large asteroids that could threaten Earth, and none are heading our way. New telescopes launching soon will help scientists find and track the smaller ones even faster.
Two space agencies are joining forces to study asteroid Apophis when it zooms past Earth in 2029, offering scientists a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn how gravity reshapes space rocks. The mission shows international cooperation reaching new heights in planetary defense.