NASA's New Role Play
NASA to roleplay what would happen if an asteroid struck Earth
This week, space agencies from around the world will drop everything to figure out an emergency response to our planet being struck by an enormous asteroid. But you needn’t start stocking up on canned goods or survival supplies, as the asteroid impact is only hypothetical, and the planning is part of a scenario played out at the 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference.
Members of NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) will join other space scientists in a simulation of how agencies, governments, and regular people might respond if our planet were threatened by an asteroid. Over five days, they will simulate a developing scenario of an impact and will have to tailor their responses to new incoming (albeit fictional) data.
“Each time we participate in an exercise of this nature, we learn more about who the key players are in a disaster event, and who needs to know what information, and when,” said Lindley Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer, in a statement. “These exercises ultimately help the planetary defense community communicate with each other and with our governments to ensure we are all coordinated should a potential impact threat be identified in the future.”