Overview

There are approximately 25,000 ""city-killer"" asteroids in near-Earth orbit-and most are yet to be found. Small enough to evade detection, they are capable of large-scale destruction, and represent our greatest cosmic threat. But in September 2022, against all odds, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission deliberately crashed a spacecraft into a carefully selected city-killer, altering the asteroid's orbit and proving that we stand a chance against them. In How to Kill an Asteroid, award-winning science journalist Robin George Andrews-who was at DART mission control when it happened-reveals the development of the technology that made it possible, from spotting elusive asteroids and comets to figuring out their geologic defenses and orchestrating a deflection campaign. In a propulsive narrative that reads like a sci-fi thriller, Andrews tells the story of the planetary defense movement, and introduces the international team of scientists and engineers now working to protect Earth.

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9781324050193

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"""DART’s successful mission was a pivotal moment in our understanding of asteroid defense. Robin George Andrews’s How to Kill an Asteroid brilliantly captures the urgency and complexity of planetary defense, highlighting the innovative technologies and dedicated scientists working to protect Earth from these cosmic threats. A compelling and informative read for anyone interested in space exploration and the future of our planet."" -- Dante S. Lauretta, Regents Professor of Planetary Science, University of Arizona, and author of The Asteroid Hunter ""A captivating report on efforts to mitigate the worst existential risk that humanity faces. Robin George Andrews describes accurately the scientific lessons learned from the extinction of the dinosaurs by a rocky impactor. They include looking up and perfecting methods to deflect large future impactors. A must read for space geeks and long-term-survival aficionados."" -- Avi Loeb, New York Times best-selling author of Extraterrestrial and Interstellar and Director of the Institute for Theory and Computatio ""How to Kill an Asteroid is a page-turner of a cosmic mystery about one of the most important subjects facing humanity—planetary defense from killer asteroids. Robin George Andrews is the perfect storyteller, making NASA science accessible for everyone."" -- Col. Terry Virts, author of How to Astronaut and View from Above ""How to Kill an Asteroid is a testament to humanity’s ingenuity in the face of cosmic danger, and you will not find a more enthusiastic and skilled planetary guide than Andrews. With riveting detail and cinematic flair, the book catapults readers into a reality that feels like science fiction. Andrews gives readers a front-row seat to the drama of destruction and self-preservation, and reminds us that even in the face of danger, there’s room for wit and humor. As Andrews quips, ‘Who says you can’t have fun while trying to save the world?’"" -- Kristy Hamilton, science journalist and award-winning author of Nature’s Wild Ideas"

"""DART’s successful mission was a pivotal moment in our understanding of asteroid defense. Robin George Andrews’s How to Kill an Asteroid brilliantly captures the urgency and complexity of planetary defense, highlighting the innovative technologies and dedicated scientists working to protect Earth from these cosmic threats. A compelling and informative read for anyone interested in space exploration and the future of our planet."" -- Dante S. Lauretta, Regents Professor of Planetary Science, University of Arizona, and author of The Asteroid Hunter ""A captivating report on efforts to mitigate the worst existential risk that humanity faces. Robin George Andrews describes accurately the scientific lessons learned from the extinction of the dinosaurs by a rocky impactor. They include looking up and perfecting methods to deflect large future impactors. A must read for space geeks and long-term-survival aficionados."" -- Avi Loeb, New York Times best-selling author of Extraterrestrial and Interstellar and Director of the Institute for Theory and Computatio ""How to Kill an Asteroid is a page-turner of a cosmic mystery about one of the most important subjects facing humanity—planetary defense from killer asteroids. Robin George Andrews is the perfect storyteller, making NASA science accessible for everyone."" -- Col. Terry Virts, author of How to Astronaut and View from Above"

A captivating report on efforts to mitigate the worst existential risk that humanity faces...A must read for space geeks and long-term-survival aficionados.--Avi Loeb, New York Times best-selling author of Extraterrestrial and Interstellar A page-turner of a cosmic mystery about one of the most important subjects facing humanity--planetary defense from killer asteroids. Robin George Andrews is the perfect storyteller, making NASA science accessible for everyone.--Col. Terry Virts, author of How to Astronaut and View from Above Bookended by disparate visions of future asteroid encounters, Robin George Andrews's storytelling and nerdy humor make the DART mission feel personal. Reading this book should assuage the fears of anyone worried that humanity will blaze out like the dinosaurs did.--Dr. Moiya McTier, author of The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy Brilliantly captures the urgency and complexity of planetary defense, highlighting the innovative technologies and dedicated scientists working to protect Earth from these cosmic threats. A compelling and informative read for anyone interested in space exploration and the future of our planet.--Dante S. Lauretta, Regents Professor of Planetary Science, University of Arizona, and author of The Asteroid Hunter If we're going to avoid the fate of the dinosaurs, we need to be looking toward the sky. Robin George Andrews vividly explains how we may do just that, drawing from decades of discovery and invention to think through how we might accomplish the seemingly impossible task of pushing back against an asteroid with Earth's name on it.--Riley Black, author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs and When the Earth Was Green Andrews' writing style is funny, wry, passionate, and deeply informed. How to Kill an Asteroid is one of the most entertaining pop-science reads of the year.--John Keogh, Booklist (starred review) Deeply researched and tenaciously reported, How to Kill an Asteroid is a detailed inside look at some of the most important recent undertakings in the history of space science...Robin George Andrews is a spirited, erudite, and humorous guide.--Ferris Jabr, author of Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life How to Kill an Asteroid is a testament to humanity's ingenuity in the face of cosmic danger, and you will not find a more enthusiastic and skilled planetary guide than Robin George Andrews. With riveting detail and cinematic flair, the book catapults readers into a reality that feels like science fiction.--Kristy Hamilton, science journalist and award-winning author of Nature's Wild Ideas Highly readable and engaging. . . . Exciting and surprisingly funny, How to Kill an Asteroid is a must read for space enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys good narrative science journalism.--Rebecca Renner, author of Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades

"""DART’s successful mission was a pivotal moment in our understanding of asteroid defense. Robin George Andrews’s How to Kill an Asteroid brilliantly captures the urgency and complexity of planetary defense, highlighting the innovative technologies and dedicated scientists working to protect Earth from these cosmic threats. A compelling and informative read for anyone interested in space exploration and the future of our planet."" -- Dante S. Lauretta, Regents Professor of Planetary Science, University of Arizona, and author of The Asteroid Hunter ""A captivating report on efforts to mitigate the worst existential risk that humanity faces. Robin George Andrews describes accurately the scientific lessons learned from the extinction of the dinosaurs by a rocky impactor. They include looking up and perfecting methods to deflect large future impactors. A must read for space geeks and long-term-survival aficionados."" -- Avi Loeb, New York Times best-selling author of Extraterrestrial and Interstellar and Director of the Institute for Theory and Computatio ""How to Kill an Asteroid is a page-turner of a cosmic mystery about one of the most important subjects facing humanity—planetary defense from killer asteroids. Robin George Andrews is the perfect storyteller, making NASA science accessible for everyone."" -- Col. Terry Virts, author of How to Astronaut and View from Above ""Bookended by disparate visions of future asteroid encounters, Andrews’ storytelling and nerdy humor make the DART mission feel personal. Reading this book should assuage the fears of anyone worried that humanity will blaze out like the dinosaurs did."" -- Dr. Moiya McTier, author of The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy ""How to Kill an Asteroid is a testament to humanity’s ingenuity in the face of cosmic danger, and you will not find a more enthusiastic and skilled planetary guide than Andrews. With riveting detail and cinematic flair, the book catapults readers into a reality that feels like science fiction. Andrews gives readers a front-row seat to the drama of destruction and self-preservation, and reminds us that even in the face of danger, there’s room for wit and humor. As Andrews quips, ‘Who says you can’t have fun while trying to save the world?’"" -- Kristy Hamilton, science journalist and award-winning author of Nature’s Wild Ideas ""Deeply researched and tenaciously reported, How to Kill an Asteroid is a detailed inside look at some of the most important recent undertakings in the history of space science. In this comprehensive chronicle, Andrews tells nothing less than the story of humanity’s effort to, as one of his sources puts it, ‘rearrange the solar system’ in order to save the world. A scientist turned journalist, Andrews is a spirited, erudite, and humorous guide, delivering prose that is scholarly yet conversational, grounded yet cinematic. For space enthusiasts, this fascinating book will surely be as much a valuable resource as a heaping bowl of mind candy."" -- Ferris Jabr, author of Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life"

Author Information

Robin George Andrews is an award-winning science journalist who regularly writes about space and geosciences for outlets including the New York Times, the Atlantic, National Geographic, Scientific American, Atlas Obscura, and Quanta Magazine. He lives in London, England.

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