NASA expert warns of asteroid impact threat, calls for planetary defense

Humberto Campins, a Venezuelan asteroid specialist at NASA, has urged humanity to develop robust mechanisms for responding to future asteroid impacts, emphasizing that such events are an inevitable part of the solar system's natural processes.

While Campins assured that no known objects currently pose an immediate danger, he drew parallels to catastrophic past events, like the one linked to the dinosaurs' extinction, suggesting that similar large-scale impacts could reoccur. "Human civilization must prepare for this threat, which will happen again," he stated in an interview with EFE.

To mitigate this risk, Campins stressed the importance of sustaining scientific programs dedicated to locating Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and assessing their potential trajectories. He advocated for "planetary defense," a collaborative effort involving space agencies, observatories, and scientists worldwide, as crucial for the long-term survival of civilization.

Campins highlighted ongoing international cooperation, including triennial simulations conducted by various space agencies, to build institutional memory for responding to real threats. He is personally involved in NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission, which will study the asteroid Apophis during its close approach to Earth.

Apophis, discovered in 2004, is a significant focus due to its size, estimated between 340 and 375 meters in diameter, and its predicted close pass on April 13, 2029. Although initial concerns about a collision were later dismissed for the next century, its proximity will allow it to be observed from Earth and studied intensely, providing valuable data for planetary defense strategies.