Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have been highlighted as being well positioned to ensure the survival of humanity in the event that a “killer asteroid” hits the planet.
According to a former White House official, the Big Tech CEOs could advise President Donald Trump in the construction of an off-planet habitat for humanity, which would be vital in ensuring that the species survives a world-ending event.
Newsweek contacted Musk and Bezos for comment via the press offices of X and Amazon, respectively.
Why It Matters
The YR4 asteroid, first detected on December 27, is the most dangerous space object near Earth, according to NASA, and its impact on the planet would cause the same destruction as several nuclear bombs. While the chance of an impact is low, contingencies may need to be put in place in the event that those chances increase.
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What To Know
The European Space Agency told Newsweek that the probability of the YR4 asteroid hitting the Earth is 2.2 percent. However, those low chances haven’t stopped many from theorizing how it could be stopped.
Possible solutions for redirecting the asteroid have included nuclear weapons, kinetic impactors and even laser technology. Some have suggested that if attempts to redirect the asteroid fail, humanity will need a base off-world to ensure its survival.
Douglas MacKinnon, who served as a writer for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, wrote in an op-ed for The Hill that Musk and Bezos could help make such a base a reality.
He said: “At the moment, humanity has all of its eggs in the planet Earth basket, including all of our people and our very history.
“This is something Musk and others have been warning about for years. The literal survival of our species is at stake. We need to get a large representation of humanity—along with our data and our history—permanently off-planet.
“Whether an asteroid or comet hit, a nuclear war or some evil scientist working on humanity-killing viruses, the human species remains at risk of complete annihilation if confined to planet Earth. But it does not have to be so.”
“Who better to advise the president on this literally humanity-saving project than Musk, Bezos and their respective SpaceX and Blue Origin teams? A match made in the Heavens,” he continued.
On Sunday, Musk also theorized about solutions to an asteroid’s potential collision, writing on X, formerly Twitter, “Starships on Mars or, even better, stationed throughout the asteroid belt, would be ideal for protecting Earth from asteroids and especially comets.”
What People Are Saying
Robert Massey, the deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, previously told Newsweek of the YR4 asteroid: “I’m not really concerned at all. It’s the kind of thing that should concern policymakers and astronomers, particularly, whose job it is to track these things and refine orbits. The odds are very, very low, and as observations get better, it’s very likely that the probability will drop to zero, so I don’t think the public should be unduly concerned.”
What Happens Next
The European Space Agency is supplying regular updates on the asteroid’s movements. It is not expected to near the Earth until 2032.
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