NASA ‘unable to stop’ enormous asteroid Bennu which could hit Earth in 2135 NASA will be unable to stop an enormous asteroid which could crash into Earth in 2135, scientists have warned. It is estimated that Bennu, which is the size of the Empire State Building, would unleash 1,200 megatons of energy on impact, 80,000 times the energy of the […]

By Amanda Barnett, CNN Updated 2:59 PM ET, Fri September 22, 2017 (CNN)A spaceship sucessfully zipped by Earth on Friday and used our planet’s gravity to help it pick up speed on its way to explore an asteroid. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx flew about 11,000 miles (17,000 kilometers) above Antarctica at 12:52 p.m. ET. The maneuver, called an Earth gravity assist, pointed […]

Via Space.com By Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com Contributor | September 9, 2016 11:52am ET CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The asteroid-sample-return mission that launched into space yesterday (Sept. 8) may help protect Earth from future life-threatening impacts by rogue space rocks. The target of the OSIRIS-REx mission is an asteroid known as Bennu, which circles the sun just inside the orbit of Mars […]