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All you need to know about Jeff Bezos' space shield protecting us from city-killer asteroids

Blue Origin is partnering with NASA to launch a mission, using a Blue Ring spacecraft to deflect city-killer asteroids and protect our planet

[3D rendering of a swarm of asteroids entering the Earth's atmosphere]

Blue Origin is partnering with NASA to deflect city-killer asteroids(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

• Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, is collaborating with NASA to develop a defence system against city-killer asteroids. This partnership aims to deploy the Blue Ring shield, a high-tech spacecraft designed to intercept and deflect dangerous space rocks before they hit our atmosphere.
• NASA currently monitors approximately 40,000 near-Earth objects, but many smaller threats remain hidden from view. Experts can only track about 60% of asteroids that are 200 feet wide, which are large enough to level an entire city upon impact.
• The joint effort between Blue Origin and NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory is focused on closing the security gap in our planetary defence. The mission aims to launch a "celestial bodyguard" that can stay in orbit and proactively respond to incoming threats.
• The Blue Ring system plans to use innovative methods to push asteroids off course, such as high-powered plasma ions for a gentle nudge. If a more aggressive approach is needed, the craft is also designed to use "kinetic impact," essentially ramming the rock at high speeds.
• In 2022, NASA's DART mission successfully changed an asteroid's path by crashing into it at 14,000 mph. However, that mission caused the target to shatter, highlighting the need for more precise methods to avoid creating a "shotgun blast" of debris heading toward Earth.
• Scientists estimate that 15,000 asteroids pass uncomfortably close to our planet, making this a critical race to avoid a prehistoric-scale disaster. The mission is driven by the urgent need to identify these stealthy rocks before it is too late.
• NASA is also preparing the NEO Surveyor, a specialized telescope that uses infrared sensors to see dark asteroids by detecting their heat. This allows experts to find rocks that don't reflect much sunlight and are otherwise invisible to traditional telescopes.
• Blue Origin is aiming to launch the NEO Hunter mission later this year to begin testing these vital defence systems. Meanwhile, Elon Musks SpaceX is scheduled to launch the infrared Surveyor telescope in 2027 to further bolster our early warning capabilities.
• Read the full story here: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/jeff-bezos-building-space-shield-36925618