Russia Space Agency Says It Can Repulse Asteroids Threatening Earth

Russia is prepared to repel asteroids to save Earth “if necessary,” deputy head of the Russian space agency Viktor Remishevsky reportedly said. “If necessary, Russia’s rocket-manufacturing complex can create the means in space to repulse asteroids threatening Earth,” Remishevsky told the Itar-Tass news agency, without giving further details. The official stressed that saving Earth from the threat of asteroids demanded international cooperation, AFP said. “Above all, space research institutions, telescopes, and the infrastructure of the Russian Academy of Sciences should warn about the threat of asteroids falling to Earth,” Remishevsky said. According to Russia’s Institute of Applied Astronomy, about 400 asteroids and over 30 comets currently present a potential threat to the planet.