Armageddon: 26 years ago it was science fiction, now we can do it!

The asteroid is heading toward Earth at a speed of 35,000 kilometers per hour. Harry S. Stamper, a major oil drilling specialist, is recruited by the director of NASA to try to destroy him. He and his team of hotheads will have to land on an asteroid and place a nuclear charge in its heart. Then begins the necessary training of astronauts and the study of space tools…

Having read the previous synopsis, you’ll surely know the story of Michael Bay’s Armageddon, in which Bruce Willis, jaw-dropped, eyes wet and more determined than ever, leads his team of suicidal terrorists on a mission with stakes of nothing less. The future of humanity. Sci-fi mixed with action that has a 90s vibe.

In addition to the fact that after 26 years such an initiative is no longer science fiction at all, on the contrary, it has become a reality. Launched by NASA in October 2021, the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission was intended to use a spacecraft to attempt to deflect the trajectory of a celestial body.

To do this, scientists from the American space agency first targeted a binary asteroid system: the asteroid Didymos, which is about 780 meters, and its moon Dimorphos. These asteroids are located at a distance of 11 million kilometers from the Earth.

The DART spacecraft, which weighs 550 kg, was launched in September 2022 on Dimorphos, which is only 163 m in diameter. The impact was filmed live at over 20,000 km/h. So great success. “We’re entering a new era where we potentially have the ability to protect ourselves from a dangerous asteroid strike.” said Laurie Glass, NASA’s director of planetary sciences.

If potential clashes between Near-Earth Asteroids And the earth is very weak, they remain a threat. In 2013 in Russia, meteor shower Among them, a 19-meter asteroid hit the Chelyabinsk region, 1,500 km east of Moscow, injuring nearly 1,500.