NASA is not just about exploring space and planets like Mars.
They have a bigger job – keeping an eye on asteroids or any big rocks in space that might come too close to Earth.
It’s a necessary task, given that our planet may seem huge, but compared to the vastness of space, it’s like a tiny marble.
READ MORE: NASA reveals lunar racer car that’ll transport astronauts to uncharted destinations on the Moon
If a big rock from space were to hit us, it could be disastrous.
While we hope that never happens, NASA is ready to let us know if it’s coming.
Lindley Johnson, a top person at NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, is the one in charge of watching out for these rocks and warning us if one gets too close.
He’s really important in making sure Earth stays safe from asteroids and other space dangers.
NASA, working with a team called the International Asteroid Warning Network, keeps track of any rocks that might be a problem.
They’ve found over 34,000 of these near-Earth asteroids since they started watching, and they’re always on the lookout, just in case.
They are not just watching these space rocks, but NASA is also studying them.
Recently they opened up an asteroid worth a whopping $1,000,000,000.
Interestingly, NASA has a plan to tell everyone if someday a big rock is heading our way.
Just imagine waking up and getting an alert from NASA that a giant Asteroid is close to us! Scary, isn’t it?
The big question is – how are they going to do that?
They’ll use things like emergency broadcasts on TV and messages on our phones to make sure everyone knows what’s happening and what to do.
In the meantime, they won’t just sit back and wait.
NASA have smart ideas, like sending a special spacecraft to bump a dangerous asteroid off course.
Even if the chances are less, they have to take them to ensure our safety.
Thanks to Lindley Johnson and the hardworking team at NASA, we can sleep a little easier knowing that someone’s keeping an eye on the sky for us.
While the idea of an asteroid strike is scary, NASA’s got our back, making sure we’re ready for anything that might come our way from space.
