How to Kill an Asteroid: The Real Science of Planetary Defense

by Robin George Andrews Narrated by Graham Mack

Overview

A gripping account of the "city-killer" asteroids that could threaten Earth and the race to build a planetary defense system.



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 plays 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.

Editorial Reviews

Literary Review - Andrew Crumey

"There is much here that will fascinate any space enthusiast."

Col. Terry Virts

"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."

Science News - Shi En Kim

"A deep dive into the extremely badass business of thwarting a destructive asteroid … [Andrews’s] thorough research brings readers all over the world and across time."

Ferris Jabr

"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."

John Keogh

"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."

Scientific American - Lee Billings

"Acclaimed science journalist Robin George Andrews offers a sometimes scary, often humorous and always erudite account of the people and projects striving to safeguard Earth from space rocks and help humanity avoid the dinosaurs’ dismal fate."

Dr. Moiya McTier

"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."

Engadget - Cheyenne Macdonald

"[E]ngrossing. As Andrews moves on from the hypothetical and into reality—the history and the science that the book is all about—he keeps it interesting with a conversational writing style that makes even the jargon feel readable."

BBC Sky at Night Magazine - Govert Schilling

"[A] wonderful book…Andrews is a marvellous and witty storyteller…This is a scientific page-turner that builds up to a great climax and is written in an accessible and entertaining style, yet chockful of serious information. A direct hit, I’d say."

New Scientist - Chris Stokel-Walker

"This vividly written book reads as much like a thriller as the film plots it is trying to correct … Andrews’s dexterity in explaining complicated concepts, including how to knock asteroids off-orbit, makes this book well worth picking up, but that verbal vivacity is matched by deep reporting … You will finish the book as informed as you are entertained."

Riley Black

"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."

Kristy Hamilton

"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."

Dante S. Lauretta

"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."

Gizmodo - Passant Rabie

"Robin Andrews offers a rare personal look at the development of the mission, the team that made it happen, and what it was like to be inside the mission control room when the asteroid got smacked. The book leans into the sci-fi fantasy aspect of the mission, detailing all the cool science while still delivering drama, humor, and a great group of characters."

Rebecca Renner

"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."

Avi Loeb

"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."

Kirkus Reviews

2024-08-02
Big asteroids rarely strike our planet, but smaller ones not so rarely, and scientists are worrying.

Science journalist Andrews, author ofSuper Volcanoes, writes that an asteroid blew up over Chelyabinsk, a Russian city of 1.2 million, in 2013. Disintegrating before reaching the ground, it produced a vivid flash and deafening explosion that broke windows and damaged thousands of buildings. More than a hundred citizens were hospitalized. The explosion, equal to that of 500,000 tons of TNT, was caused by an asteroid 60 feet wide. History buffs remember the 1908 Tunguska meteor, which destroyed 800 square miles of remote Siberia, flattening 80 million trees with a blast equivalent to that of 12 million tons of TNT. It was 160 feet across. Surprise asteroids thrill movie audiences, but astronomers have detected most of the big ones. On the other hand, readers may be startled to learn that of the several hundred thousand Tunguska-size asteroids that astronomers call “near-Earth objects (NEOs)” (they’re also called “city killers”) thought to exist, only 7 percent have been found. Having set the scene, Andrews describes a NASA mission, DART, to send a spacecraft crashing into a distant NEO to shift its orbit. Launched in November 2021, it successfully completed its mission the following September, proving that this could be done. Andrews describes other missions to asteroids and comets, as well as ongoing NASA efforts at planetary defense, although readers may be dismayed to learn these are not a priority. A high-tech satellite, NEO Surveyor, designed to detect the mass of undetected asteroids, was proposed in the early 2000s, approved after many delays, and scheduled to launch by 2028, but that date became uncertain when its budget was cut. A member of the “science is boring” school, Andrews writes breezy prose peppered with flippant asides, jokes, and apologies for technical terms, but he has done his homework.

A skillful review of NASA efforts to save the Earth.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192129500
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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