Planet-killing asteroids could be coming our way

Plus: Company claims orders worth $2 billion to produce ‘Future Brake System’ in 2025. Nov 14, 2022 [Blueprint]( [Planet-killing asteroids]( they’re every bit as cheery as they sound. But as much as they may sound like something straight off the pages of a sci-fi novel, they’re very much real. In fact, scientists are calling them “the latest existential threat to humanity.” And there’s one “planet killer” in particular they’re concerned about, an asteroid named 2022 AP7. Before you start scaring your elderly relatives with this information, though, you should probably know that the Carnegie Institution for Science says that, on its current trajectory, there’s no way it will hit the Earth yet. And from one fast-flying object to another, [here’s a video]( of astronauts undergoing fighter jet training to teach them to handle stressful and high-risk situations. It’s actually quite stressful to watch! Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers had insights on the collab’ you didn’t see coming: science and the Bible. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [This is why astronauts complete fighter jet training.]( [This is why astronauts complete fighter jet training.]( A new video has surfaced of the Everyday Astronaut Tim Dodd training with astronauts of the Polaris Dawn mission on fighter jets. Dodd says it’s to teach them to handle stressful and high-risk situations. [Must Read]MUST READ [Planet-killing asteroids could be coming our way — here's why.]( [Planet-killing asteroids could be coming our way.]( So the [latest existential threat to humanity]( is a “planet killer” asteroid called 2022 AP7. But Scott Sheppard at the Carnegie Institution for Science says it’s not going to hit Earth yet, so we’re ok for now. But yes, you did read that right… yet. Sheppard and his international team of colleagues observed 2022 AP7 in a trio of “rather large” asteroids obscured by the Sun’s glare (the other two don’t pose a risk). 2022 AP7 orbits the Sun every five years and currently crosses Earth’s orbit when Earth is on the other side of the Sun to it. But eventually, its movement will sync with Earth’s, and it will cross much closer, but this will be centuries into the future. Sheppard and his team have also suggested that there might be other “planet killers” out there that we don’t even know about yet, cheerfully. → Asteroid 2022 AP7 is the largest potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) found in eight years, with a diameter between 1.1 kilometers (1.754 miles) and 2.3 kilometers (3.6 miles). For context, any asteroid with a diameter of over a kilometer (1.6 miles) is enough to trigger a mass extinction event on Earth. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Company claims orders worth $2 billion to produce ‘Future Brake System’ in 2025.]( German-based technology company Continental Automotive claims to have [secured its first significant order]( in the third quarter for its semi-dry braking system called 'Future Brake System' (FBS). [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Innovation - New invention [engineered to help the hearing-impaired]( could also help military. - US agrees to address airport [security technology discrimination](. - [Breathing new life into obsolete tech]( Dalibor Farny makes Nixie tubes from scratch. [premium] [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [US military drone lands safely after spending record-breaking 908 days in space.]( After a [record-breaking 908 days in orbit]( for its sixth mission, a U.S. military drone has touched down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The tiny space-shuttle X-37B, powered by solar energy, broke the prior mission record. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - Scientist warns longer trips to Mars [could have worse effects]( on astronauts' microbiomes. - Groundbreaking [hydrogen separation technique]( to recover clean energy from unrecyclable waste. - [Evolution of tree roots]( may have caused mass extinction 300 million years ago. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Planet-killing asteroids could be coming our way. Do you think there is a “planet killer” lurking out there that we should be worried about in our lifetimes? [Yes, absolutely]( [It’s perfectly possible]( [No, it’s unlikely]( [I am unsure either way]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS On Saturday, we asked you if you think medical doctors will start treating other diseases before birth, and 69 percent of you said yes, totally. 69% Yes, absolutely 26% Maybe, if treatment before birth could help the baby survive 5% I’m not really sure, but it seems innovative 0% No, it would be too dangerous [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “The saddest aspect of life right now is that it gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” Isaac Asimov, a Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. 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