Humanity must develop robust planetary defense mechanisms to protect civilization from inevitable asteroid impacts, according to Humberto Campins, a NASA asteroid expert who spoke at a recent scientific congress in Oviedo, Spain. While no immediate threats exist in August 2026, international agencies continue tracking near-Earth objects like the asteroid Apophis ahead of its historic 2029 close approach.
Preparing for Natural Catastrophes in the Solar System
Large asteroid impacts remain an inescapable part of Earth’s geological history. According to Campins, an event matching the cataclysmic scale linked to the extinction of dinosaurs will eventually happen again. Speaking in an interview with EFE during the “The Many Pathways to Space” conference, the NASA specialist emphasized that civilization needs to proactively establish risk-mitigation protocols.
“The human civilization must prepare for this threat, which will happen again,” Campins stated, noting that planetary defense is essential to ensure long-term survival.
For more than thirty years, global space agencies have coordinated tracking networks to catalog near-Earth objects. Analysts utilize tools like the Torino Scale to quantify impact risks. Furthermore, international agencies routinely execute simulation exercises every three years to build institutional memory, ensuring response protocols remain sharp before any genuine crisis materializes.
The 2029 Apophis Flyby and Dedicated Space Missions
One of the most heavily scrutinized near-Earth objects is Apophis, discovered back in 2004 and named after the Egyptian deity of chaos. Initial tracking raised concern regarding its trajectory, but subsequent measurements have successfully ruled out any collision risk for at least the next century, according to NASA data.
On April 13, 2029, Apophis will streak past Earth at a distance under 32,000 kilometers—placing it well inside the orbital rings of commercial communication satellites. Spanning roughly 340 to 375 meters across, the irregular rocky body will become visible to the naked eye across parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
This unusually close encounter provides a rare empirical laboratory. The immense gravitational pull of Earth will subtly deform the asteroid’s structure and alter its rotational dynamics. To capture this phenomenon, space agencies have greenlit dedicated intercept missions:
- NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX: A follow-up to the OSIRIS-REx mission, this spacecraft will rendezvous with Apophis after the flyby to examine surface transformations and mineral composition over an 18-month window.
- ESA’s Ramses: The European Space Agency’s dedicated probe will observe the asteroid both prior to and during the close approach to quantify gravitational stress effects.
These initiatives build directly on the momentum of NASA’s DART mission, which previously proved kinetic impactors can successfully alter an asteroid’s trajectory.
Beyond Threat Mitigation: The Economics of Space Mining
Asteroid tracking also opens up commercial horizons beyond pure defense. Because many near-Earth objects travel at velocities closely matched to our planet’s orbit, they represent prime targets for future space resource extraction.
Missions analyzing carbonaceous and silicate-rich bodies have identified accessible hydrous silicates—materials containing water that can be cracked into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel. Industrial planners project that harvesting platinum group metals and rare earth elements from these celestial bodies could eventually support orbital manufacturing and deep-space infrastructure within the coming decades.
