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Humanity's Defensive Dawn: The NASA DART Mission and the Fight Against Asteroids

Recognizing the Threat: Why Asteroid Defense Matters

Earth is no stranger to cosmic visitors. While most space debris disintegrates upon entry into our atmosphere, some larger objects pose serious regional, or even global, threats. Over the past decade, incidents such as the Siberian impact serve as stark reminders of the danger lurking in our celestial neighborhood. In 2013, a roughly 20-meter asteroid exploded in the atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, creating a shockwave ten times more powerful than Hiroshima's nuclear blast and injuring about a thousand people. Although such events are relatively rare, their potential consequences make planetary defense a priority.