"NASA's Billion-Dollar Mission: Stopping the Massive Asteroid Threat to Earth"

Scientists are tracking an asteroid the size of the Empire State Building set to pass by Earth in 2182, emphasizing the importance of studying such objects and preparing for potential scenarios. Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission, discusses the mission's sample collection from asteroid Bennu and its potential to provide insights into the early solar system and the origins of life. He highlights the need for tracking and potentially deflecting asteroids, addressing the impact hazard and the broader scientific questions about the origins of life and the possibility of life beyond Earth.