Asteroids measuring approximately 140 meters in diameter and larger fall into that middle range. An impact from such an object could obliterate a major metropolitan area or cause widespread regional devastation. Yet the majority of these potentially hazardous objects remain undiscovered.
Chabot emphasized that the technical capacity to build a robust planetary defense system already exists. What is required, she said, is sustained political will, funding, and long-term strategic planning.
“We could be prepared for this threat,” she said. “We could be in very good shape. We need to take those steps to do it. If anything keeps me awake, it’s that.”
International efforts to strengthen planetary defense are also underway. The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft, launched in 2024, is scheduled to arrive at the Dimorphos asteroid system in 2026. Hera will conduct a detailed assessment of the aftermath of the DART impact, collecting critical data to help scientists better understand the physics of kinetic impact deflection and how such techniques might be scaled for larger threats.
