For many years, agencies of cosmic research in Washington have been studying ways to protect Earth from collisions with asteroids, such as "YR4," which poses a threat to our planet in 2032. According to estimates, the width of the asteroid "YR4" ranges from 40 to 90 meters, and the probability of its collision with Earth on December 22, 2032, at present is 3.1%, according to data from the American space agency (NASA) last Tuesday.
This is mentioned in special calculations. According to experts, caution must be taken regarding these forecasts, as they are based on initial data and are likely to change in the coming weeks and months, possibly towards a reduction, as stated by specialists cited by the agency "France Press."
"Even in the case of a virtual situation, where the probability of a collision reaches 100%, we will not be unprotected," emphasized the head of the planetary defense department at the European space agency Richard Moissl. Among the strategies being considered is the use of a device for altering its orbit.
To check against the dangers of this kind, NASA specifically sent a spacecraft in 2022 to collide with Dimorphos, an asteroid 160 meters in diameter, which does not pose a threat to Earth. The "DART" mission previously managed to change the trajectory of the asteroid.
One of the variants of more precise intervention involves a technique called "gravitational tug" - sending a large device close to the cosmic object, without touching it, and using gravity to correct its orbit. The use of nuclear weapons in space is seen as the last resort for solving problems with asteroids larger than one kilometer in diameter.
