Dangerous asteroids flying past Earth are not rare, and more meteor strikes happen than the public is aware of, the head of Nasa has said. At the International Academy of Astronautics’ Planetary Defence Conference on Monday, Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said: “I wish I could tell you these events are exceptionally unique … but they’re not.” He said more work is now underway to protect our planet from the impact of meteor strikes. While the subject has long been the preserve of big-budget action films, he said: “What we’re doing is very serious.” “We have to make sure that people understand that this is not about Hollywood, it’s not about movies,” he said. NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Show all 21 1 /21 NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Robert McCall’s mid-1970s prediction of NASA’s space shuttle building a modular space station is close to what finally happened, except that the real shuttles only flew one at a time. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Ed White photographed by Gemini 4 Commander Jim McDivitt. During the first of 66 orbits, they made an unsuccessful attempt to rendezvous with the spent upper stage of their Titan launch vehicle. On McDivitt’s advice, White waited one more orbit to recover from the effort of the failed rendezvous, and then exited the Gemini for his historic spacewalk on June 3, 1965. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Apollo 9 CM pilot Dave Scott emerges from the hatch, testing some of the spacesuit systems that will be used for lunar operations. The photo was taken from the hatch of the docked LM by Rusty Schweickart in March 1969. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Mothership “Balls Three” overflies an X-15 in 1961. Three operational X-15s were constructed and flown for 199 test flights between them, as they pushed at the “envelopes” of speed and altitude, and reached the very edges of space. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives The Mercury Control Center (MCC) at Cape Canaveral supervised seven human spaceflights between May 1961 and March 1965, into the beginning of the Gemini era. Meanwhile the more advanced control complex in Houston was taking shape ahead of Apollo. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Technicians working at the base of Alan Shepard’s Mercury-Redstone 3 launch vehicle are swathed in vapour from vented excess oxidiser gas on May 5, 1961. Subsequent rockets could not be so closely approached when fueling. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives The Rendezvous Docking Simulator at Langley prepared Gemini astronauts for the strange physics of orbital flight. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Ahead of Gemini 10, Commander John Young explains to the media how copilot Michael Collins will inspect the Agena Target Docking Vehicle during his spacewalk, 1966. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Navy divers prepare to retrieve the Gemini 6A crew on December 16, 1965. Green dye was released by spacecraft on splashdown, making it easier to spot from the air. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives The U.S. geological Survey’s map of the area around Tycho Crater, famous as the site of a mysterious alien monolith in the 1968 science fiction film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” In real life, this chaotic and rugged terrain would have been too difficult for an Apollo mission to access. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot Michael Collins inspects NASA’s Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, where rock samples collected by Apollo were analysed. Nitrogen gas protected the rocks from accidental corrosion in Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives NASA scientists are confident that Buzz Aldrin’s boot prints from Apollo 11 are still as sharp and distinct today as when they were first stamped down in 1969, because the Moon has no air or rain to erode them. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives NASA’s Anechoic Chambers are among the quietest places anywhere on earth. Walls absorb almost all stray echoes, whether sound or radio. This 1972 model of a shuttle, being tested for radio characteristics, has thruster pods on the wingtips. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives Lightning strikes the launchpad of Space Shuttle Challenger on August 30, 1983 prior to STS-8, the first pre-dawn launch of the space shuttle program. Launchpads are surrounded by tall lightning towers and other conductive systems.These create a giant “Faraday Cage,” diverting the electric charge of strike well away from the spacecraft. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives The ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2000. Its habitable volume is equivalent to a Boeing 747’s. An international crew of six people live and work while traveling at five miles (8 km) per second, orbiting Earth once every 90 minutes. This is the single most complex and ambitious engineering effort in history, even when compared to Apollo. Courtesy of NASA NASA at 60: Amazing photos of space exploration released from archives The Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) is a hybrid of parachute and balloon technology. A new generation of flexible heat shield materials could enable a huge shield to be deployed from a small storage canister just before a spaceraft hits the atmosphere of its target planet. In July 2012 a HIAD survived a trip through Earth’s atmosphere at 7,600 mph.<doc-sep>NASA highlight new asteroid threats to earth in US conference top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The world faces an apocalyptic threat if NASA scientists are correct in assuming that an asteroid strike “is not that far away”. NASA’s chief scientist Jim Bridenstine issued one of the agency's most alarming warnings yet - claiming that the Earth is “about to face its biggest threat from outer space”. His doom-laden remarks came during a conference organised to better equip humans with ways to defend the planet against a meteor strike. NASA’s chief scientist Jim Bridenstine issued one of the agency's most alarming warnings yet This week scientists from around the world have been meeting at the 2019 Planetary Defense Conference in College Park, Maryland The exercise has become a regular event among the international community of "planetary defense" experts. This year, the conference has been scrambling to develop methods of combating imminent asteroid impact, as well as emergency evacuation plans. Dr Bridenstine said: ““This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know right now to host life, and that is the planet Earth." NASA scientist suggests there is black hole inside earth This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know right now to host life, and that is the planet Earth Jim Bridenstine Popular television scientist Bill Nye also warned about the existential threat to humanity during the conference. He told reporters: “The Earth is going to get hit with another big asteroid. The problem is, we don't know when. It's a very low probability in anyone's lifetime, but it's a very high-consequence event. If it happens, it would be like control-alt-delete for everything." NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green echoed Bill Nye's remarks: "It's not a matter of if; it's only a matter of when." During a role-playing simulation exercise, NASA scientists tried and failed to stop a meteor crashing into the earth - despite being given eight years to prepare in the simulation. US Air Force reveals patent for TOP-SECRET triangular craft<doc-sep>Meteors that could destroy an entire U.S. state are a real threat to the earth, NASA's chief warned on Monday. Speaking at the Planetary Defense Conference in Washington, D.C., NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine warned that the risk posed by meteor crashes was not being taken seriously. "This is not about Hollywood, this is not about movies, this is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know right now to host life," he said. Bridenstine pointed to the meteorite that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in 2013, which had "30 times the energy of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima" and injured around 1,500 people. Just 16 hours after the crash, NASA detected an even larger object that approached the earth but did not land on it, he revealed. "I wish I could tell you that these events are exceptionally unique, but they are not," Bridenstine said. "These events are not rare – they happen. It's up to us to make sure that we are characterizing, detecting, tracking all of the near-earth objects that could be a threat to the world." According to scientific modelling systems, such events are expected to happen once every 60 years – but Bridenstine pointed out that destructive meteorites had crashed on the earth three times in the last century.<doc-sep>The state of policing 1 year after George Floyd's death A mural of George Floyd is shown in the intersection of 38th St & Chicago Ave on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Community members continue preparations during the third day in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with multiple counts of murder in the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Keilar rolls the tape on the Covid-19 'lab leak' theory Faulty redactions show more info seized in Giuliani investigation than previously disclosed WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 01: President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks to journalists outside the White House West Wing July 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. Giuliani did an on-camera interview with One America News Network's Chanel Rion before talking to other journalists about Vice President Joe Biden and the news that Russian intelligence may have paid Taliban operatives to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Vigils & tributes to George Floyd one year since his murder ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. Begun in 1974, CPAC brings together conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders to discuss issues important to them. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Here's what reported grand jury in Trump case may look like NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: People walk past the Trump Tower as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in Washington on February 09, 2021 in New York City. After listening to nearly four hours of legal arguments, the Senate has voted on Tuesday to move ahead with the impeachment trial of former President Trump. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from Cross- Hall of the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Israel and Hamas announced that they would agree to a cease-fire, which will take into effect on Friday, following days of fighting that claimed more than 200 lives. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 26: A view of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light-rail yard where a mass shooting occurred on May 26, 2021 in San Jose, California. A VTA employee opened fire at the yard, with preliminary reports indicating nine people dead including the gunman. (Photo by Philip Pacheco/Getty Images) Interest in vaccinations increased after mask guidance, data says A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Pfizer/BioNTEch coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at The Michener Institute, in Toronto, Ontario on December 14, 2020. - Ontario, Canada's most populous province and one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, had 1,940 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday. The province is expected to give its next doses to nursing home workers as a priority, according to media reports. (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) 'Never seen levels like this': Union president on airline passenger misconduct Memorial Day weekend will bring rain and cool air for much of the East (CNN) — NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine this week warned that meteors are a threat to the planet. “This is not about Hollywood. It’s not about movies. This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know right now to host life,” he said Monday, speaking at the Planetary Defense Conference in Washington D.C. Bridenstine talked about a February 2013 meteor that exploded over Russia. That meteor blast shook Russia’s Urals region. More than 1,000 people were injured, including more than 200 children, according to news reports. Many people were hit by flying glass when windows shattered from the sonic boom that followed the meteor’s explosion. “It was brighter in the sky than the sun at that point when it entered Earth’s atmosphere. And people could feel the heat from this object from 62 kilometers away,” Bridenstine said. “When it finally exploded 18 miles above the surface…it had…30 times the energy of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima,” he said, adding it “damaged buildings in six cities.” More than 4,000 buildings, mostly apartment blocks, were damaged and 200,000 square meters (2.2 million square feet) of glass were broken, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported then, citing the Chelyabinsk regional emergencies ministry. “I wish I could tell you these events are exceptionally unique, but they are not,” Bridenstine said. He said NASA’s modeling shows similar events will happen once every 60 years. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the conversion amount of glass broken. CNN’s Phil Black and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Meteors that could destroy an entire U.S. state are a real threat to Earth, NASA’s chief warned on Monday. Speaking at the Planetary Defense Conference in Washington, D.C., NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine warned that the risk posed by meteor crashes was not being taken seriously. “This is not about Hollywood, this is not about movies, this is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know right now to host life,” he said. Bridenstine pointed to the meteorite that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in 2013, which had “30 times the energy of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima” and injured around 1,500 people. Just 16 hours after the crash, NASA detected an even larger object that approached the earth but did not land on it, he revealed. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine at the Planetary Defense Conference at the University of Maryland on April 29, 2019. Joel Kowsky / NASA “I wish I could tell you that these events are exceptionally unique, but they are not,” Bridenstine said. “These events are not rare — they happen. It’s up to us to make sure that we are characterizing, detecting, tracking all of the near-Earth objects that could be a threat to the world.” According to scientific modeling systems, such events are expected to happen once every 60 years — but Bridenstine pointed out that destructive meteorites had crashed on the earth three times in the last century. In 2018, the White House published an action plan that required NASA to detect, track and characterize 90 percent of near-Earth objects measuring 140 meters (460 feet) in diameter — but Bridenstine admitted on Monday that the space agency had a long way to go to meet that goal. “We’re only about a third of the way there,” he said. “We want more international partners that can join us in this effort. We want more systems on the face of the Earth that can detect and track these objects, and we want to be able to feed all of that data into one single operating system so that ultimately, we have the best, most accurate data that we can possibly get.” Bridenstine warned that failing to invest in such a network could have catastrophic consequences. ”(At 140 meters) it’s big enough to destroy a state in the United States of America,” he said. “It’s big enough to destroy an entire European country.” “We know for a fact that the dinosaurs did not have a space program,” he added. “But we do, and we need to use it.” Earlier this month, NASA awarded a contract to Elon Musk’s SpaceX that will see the company provide launch services for the agency’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The $69 million mission, expected to launch in 2021, will test the earth’s capability of deflecting an asteroid by colliding a spacecraft with it at high speed. Want more stories about asteroids? SIGN UP FOR THE MACH NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW NBC NEWS MACH ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND INSTAGRAM.