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NASA has completed a test simulating a potential asteroid collision with Earth in 2038, underscoring its proactive approach to planetary defense.

This exercise was the fifth iteration of the Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise. In this simulation, NASA, along with the US government and international representatives, strategized against an asteroid predicted to have a 72% chance of impacting Earth in 14 years.

The exercise presented asteroid sizes ranging from 1,970 feet to 2,600 feet. Various countermeasures were discussed, with senior officials favoring a US-led initiative with international collaboration and a potential fly-by reconnaissance mission.

According to NASA, the primary goal of the exercise was to enhance preparedness for an asteroid threat and create cooperation between agencies and international partners. This event marked the first planetary defense simulation since the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission in 2022, where a spacecraft successfully altered an asteroid’s orbit.

In a statement, Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA, said, “A large asteroid impact is potentially the only natural disaster humanity has the technology to predict years in advance and take action to prevent.” She added, “These outcomes will help to shape future exercises and studies to ensure NASA and other government agencies continue improving planetary defense preparedness.”