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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Congress Questions NASA’s Plan to Redirect Asteroids

    Last month, a 30-foot wide asteroid passed about four times closer to Earth than the moon. But in February, another small asteroid exploded over Russia and 1500 people were injured by flying debris.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    Last month, a 30-foot wide asteroid passed about four times closer to Earth than the moon. But in February, another small asteroid exploded over Russia and 1500 people were injured by flying debris. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration considers these wake-up calls and has surprised Congress and the space community by proposing what's called the "Asteroid Redirect Mission for next year's budget. Joel Achenbach, who covers science and politics for the Washington Post, has more on the plan — and the politics.

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Was Afghanistan Worth the Cost?
    1. 0:00South American Pope Visits Brazil
    2. 8:19Leaving Afghanistan: For Better or Worse?
    3. 43:44Congress Questions NASA’s Plan to Redirect AsteroidsYou’re reading this
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Kerry Cavanaugh

      editorial writer at the Los Angeles Times

    • KCRW placeholder

      Joel Achenbach

      Washington Post

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Was Afghanistan Worth the Cost?
    1. 0:00South American Pope Visits Brazil
    2. 8:19Leaving Afghanistan: For Better or Worse?
    3. 43:44Congress Questions NASA’s Plan to Redirect AsteroidsYou’re reading this
    Back to To the Point