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Planetary Defense 101 with Dr. Robin Andrews

Nov 12, 2025

Alan Lowe is joined in this episode of AMSEcast by Dr. Robin Andrews, volcanologist, science journalist, and author of How to Kill an Asteroid. Dr. Andrews explores how modern planetary defense blends cutting-edge detection networks, such as NASA’s NEO Surveyor, with active deflection efforts like the DART mission, which successfully shifted an asteroid’s orbit. He also delves into theoretical approaches, including gravity tractors and even nuclear options as last-resort strategies. While comets remain a tougher, faster-moving threat, advances in technology continue to make catastrophic impacts increasingly unlikely. Driven by a deep passion for the solar system’s tangible wonders, Dr. Andrews continues to write and follow groundbreaking missions like NASA’s Europa Clipper.
 
About Dr. Robin Andrews: 
Dr. Robin Andrews is an experimental volcanologist, science journalist, and award-winning author whose work has appeared in Scientific American, National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, including front-page stories in the latter two. He has frequently appeared on television programs such as Good Morning America and BBC News, and was awarded the 2022 David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Writing by the American Geophysical Union. Robin’s books include Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond and How to Kill an Asteroid: The Real Science of Planetary Defense, blending rigorous science with engaging storytelling.
 
Show Highlights: 
  • (1:29) Where asteroids and comets come from and how they may pose a threat to Earth
  • (3:11) How large asteroids have to be to cause significant city-wide or nation-wide damage
  • (4:31) How big an asteroid has to be reach planet-killer status
  • (5:48) How we know where asteroids are and their threat levels to the Earth
  • (7:34) How the 2024 YR4 asteroid was discovered
  • (9:17) What the Near-Earth Object Surveyor is and its current status
  • (11:33) Where we can see the impacts of past asteroids that have hit the Earth
  • (14:01) What the composition of asteroids and comets teaches us about planetary defense
  • (15:56) DART’s success in tests for combating asteroids
  • (18:26) The use of nuclear devices in deterring asteroids
  • (22:43) Possible future tools for planetary defense
  • (25:15) How an internationally coordinated planetary defense strategy would work
  • (28:26) Planning for the aftermath of an asteroid strike
  • (31:26) The effectiveness of these strategies against a comet
  • (33:44) What’s next for Dr. Robin Andrews
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