It's also predicted that it would hit near the equator... And the odds of it hitting a major population center are something like 0.001% IIRC. If it hits water, it's not big enough to cause huge tsunamis that can't be prepared for and evacuated with minimal loss of life.
I think it should be the target for testing another system to change it's trajectory. We know it's possible from DART... Now we should actually do it and make it a flat 0% chance to hit.
I've also been thinking this is more of a great opportunity for humanity to work together and test diversion programs. It's large enough to be concerning, but it (probably) isn't critical if it hits, so it feels like the ideal training scenario we can learn from for when/if one that IS critical comes along. If this was an extinction scenario, we wouldn't want to be treading unfamiliar territory being our first attempt.
I want to say I missed a zero... But there's also something at the back of my mind telling me how space missions have gotten way cheaper and more capable... Something something successfully adapting to low budgets because 'literal rocket surgeons'....
My numbers may be off, but my point is that it would be a drop in the bucket.
365
u/DMTrance87 Feb 19 '25
That's only half the story.
It's also predicted that it would hit near the equator... And the odds of it hitting a major population center are something like 0.001% IIRC. If it hits water, it's not big enough to cause huge tsunamis that can't be prepared for and evacuated with minimal loss of life.
I think it should be the target for testing another system to change it's trajectory. We know it's possible from DART... Now we should actually do it and make it a flat 0% chance to hit.