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NEWS > SCIENCE > CHINA, RUSSIA OPPOSING PLANS FOR ASTEROID DEFENCE AGENCY
CHINA, RUSSIA OPPOSING PLANS FOR ASTEROID DEFENCE AGENCY
February 13 2010
Washington, D.C. – Space, it has been said, is the final frontier. It is a mystery so massive and so compelling that human beings may never fully understand its mysteries. Dwarf stars, dark matter, and black holes are just some of the beautiful
and mysterious sights that the universe has to offer. There are also great threats in the vastness of space, some of which we never need to approach in order for them to put us in peril. The most omnipresent of those threats are of course asteroids and meteors that pass near our planet.
We need look no further than the Gulf of Mexico to see evidence of the devastation those bodies can cause on our planet. Evidence suggests that a major collision in that area 65 million years helped to create a mass extinction that ended the reign of the dinosaurs, leaving only small animals to survive. Observations of other planetary bodies such as our moon, which is littered with craters, suggest that collisions are far too common for comfort, further suggesting that our days as the dominant species on the planet could already be numbered. Humans of course are not like dinosaurs and our technological advances means that we can not only predict, but possibly prevent such a devastating impact, an effort already being criticized by a number of bodies including major governments around the world.
“The issue of asteroid collisions is one that must be studied and great care must taken in order to ensure that the best possible solutions are being explored. What we cannot afford is an imperialist attitude towards the issue of collision prevention. The security of the planet is the responsibility of all of us,” said a spokesperson for the Chinese government. “While we support the discussion revolving around this issue, we cannot in good faith simply agree to enter into the discussion about how to prevent this potential disaster until we discuss the criteria on which the discussion will take place.”
The Chinese opposition comes in the face of a proposal by the US National Research Council suggesting that an international body be convened to discuss potential defences against a collision that could end humanity and the lives of millions of other species of life. Russian officials were less diplomatic about their concerns with the proposal.
“We cannot allow the defence of Earth be the sole domain of Anglo-American 
interests. The defence of our planet must be a co-operative effort conducted by leading scientists from across the globe including Russia, which was the first country to launch a satellite into space and the first country to launch a human being into space. No asteroid protection can be conducted without Russian inclusion,” said a spokesperson for the Kremlin. “The Americans and the British cannot seek dominance of space, neither in near orbit, the moon, or in any asteroid body. We cannot allow foreign interests to conduct weapon tests in space, nor allow them to push or drag meteors towards or away from the Russian people.”
Scientists have long hoped that increasing amount of space junk revolving around the planet will protect us from a collision, now seen as unlikely.
“It is the responsibility of all people to seek the protection of the planet and we in the United States, with the largest economy on the planet and a great deal of experience dealing with space and scientific manners must lead the way, though we will not exclude our partners,” said a White House spokesperson. “We will also be seeking participation from private companies to not only design the tools required but to also to help finance the operations through corporate sponsorships. We look forward to dealing with our partners in our ongoing efforts to prevent the eradication of life on the planet.”
The asteroid Apophis, which is the size of the Orange Bowl, will pass between Earth and our orbiting satellites in 2029 and could possibly impact the Earth seven years later, killing millions and plunging the planet into a nuclear winter.
Anna Phillips, Science Correspondent
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