Planetary Defense 101 | New Space Economy

Infographic explaining how asteroid properties and impact location affect atmospheric breakup, airbursts, ground impacts, tsunamis, regional damage, and global consequences.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ASTEROID HITS EARTH?

Infographic explaining how the DART spacecraft struck Dimorphos in the Didymos asteroid system, changed its orbital period by 32 minutes, and contributed to planetary-defense research.

DART: HUMANITY’S FIRST ASTEROID-DEFLECTION TEST

Educational infographic explaining that the Torino Scale ranks public concern from 0 to 10 for possible asteroid impacts within 100 years, while the Palermo Scale compares technical impact hazard with natural background risk.

UNDERSTANDING THE TORINO AND PALERMO IMPACT SCALES

Infographic explaining a coordinated process in which NASA, the European Space Agency, international asteroid networks, astronomers, citizen scientists, and advisory groups detect, track, assess, warn about, and respond to asteroid and comet threats near Earth.

EARTH’S PLANETARY DEFENSE NETWORK

Infographic explaining that early detection and asteroid characterization guide planetary-defense choices, comparing kinetic impactors, gravity tractors, surface ablation or focused energy, and nuclear explosive devices by speed, readiness, timing, and warning requirements.

HOW CAN HUMANITY DEFLECT AN ASTEROID?

Infographic describing a global planetary-defense process in which NASA, ESA, the Minor Planet Center, warning networks, observatories, professional and amateur astronomers, and citizen scientists detect and track asteroids and comets, assess impact risk, issue alerts, and plan responses.

EARTH’S PLANETARY DEFENSE NETWORK

Educational infographic explaining asteroid and comet characteristics, near-Earth object definitions, potentially hazardous asteroid criteria, orbital paths, size comparisons, and planetary defense practices.

ASTEROIDS, COMETS, AND NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS

Infographic explaining the international process for assessing and responding to a potentially hazardous asteroid, including warning-time scenarios, deflection methods, and civil-protection measures.

WHAT HAPPENS IF SCIENTISTS DISCOVER AN ASTEROID HEADING TOWARD EARTH?

Infographic comparing four asteroid-impact events by approximate size, location, date or age, impact type, effects, and relative consequence level.

LESSONS FROM REAL ASTEROID IMPACTS

Infographic describing asteroid detection, repeated measurements, orbit and trajectory calculations, close-approach assessment, and continuous monitoring as uncertainty decreases with more data.

FROM DISCOVERY TO IMPACT PREDICTION