The risk of meteorites and cosmic waste threatens the Earth

Scientists and many Russian officials on March 12 warned that meteorites and cosmic waste could pose a big threat to the Earth and humanity in the future.

Speaking at the Roundtable with the theme "Protecting the Earth at risk from the universe", took place at the headquarters of the Federal Council (Senate) Russia, Director of the Institute of Astronomical Research The Academy of Sciences, Professor - Academician Boris Shustov, says there are currently 200,000 to 300,000 cosmic objects, mostly meteorites, capable of endangering the Earth. A meteorite with a diameter of 40 meters when hitting the Earth can emit an energy source equal to a thermonuclear bomb.

Meteors and cosmic waste can cause major threats
for Earth and humanity in the future. (Photo: Internet)

Shustov said the meteorite that fell on Russia's Chelyabink province on February 15 had a diameter of nearly 17 meters and was not dangerous, although it damaged more than 7,000 houses and slightly injured more than 1,600 people. . According to him, to reduce the risk from space needs to develop a large-scale wide-angle telescope system that tracks the movement of meteorites and space waste. However, today there is only one such large-scale astronomical world built by the US.

Director of the Russian Space Agency (Roskosmos), Vladimir Popovkin, judged that in the next 20 years, humans could lose their orbit around the Earth without successfully resolving the problem related to space waste. Popovkin announced the collisions between satellites and space equipment with space waste are increasing, from a case in five years to a case in 1.5 to 2 years. He warned that space waste around the Earth will increase, even if countries around the world do not launch more satellites into orbit.

Russian Minister of Emergency, Vladimir Pushkov, said his ministry has set up a working group to study methods to prevent meteorite and space waste. Mr. Pushkov made clear the experience of overcoming the asteroid drop in Chelyabin province, which proposed adjustments to the Unified System of Russia for warning and emergency recovery. However, it is important to outline a strategy for responding to emergencies, while protecting people from the risk of meteorites and cosmic waste or falling to Earth.

President Energhia, Russia's Space and Rocket Corporation, Mr. Vitaly Lopota, suggested the world's great powers to coordinate their establishment on the Moon, a powerful system for tracking the movements of meteorites and cosmic waste. .