Former Presidential Advisor Warns Of Impending Asteroid Impact On Earth

A former presidential advisor warned that an asteroid that’s capable of triggering an extinction-level event will eventually hit Earth. The advisor noted that this can only be prevented if the leaders of the world work together to come up with a solution.

Douglas McKinnon previously worked in the White House as an advisor for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also served as a senior policy and communications official at the Pentagon as well as a consultant for the United Space Alliance and NASA.

Through an opinion piece he wrote for The Hill, he talked about how a massive city-killer asteroid known as 2019 OK slipped past NASA watchful telescopes and satellites and almost collided with Earth in July.

The asteroid, which was around 420 feet long, approached the planet from a distance of only 40,000 miles. If it crashed on Earth, it would have flattened over 2,000 square miles of land.

According to McKinnon, July’s near-Earth approach will not be the planet’s last close encounter with an asteroid. With dozens of asteroids whizzing past Earth on a daily basis, it’s only a matter of time before an asteroid bigger than 2019 OK flies undetected and collides with Earth.

“As has been documented, NASA and those tasked with tracking these asteroids continually miss detecting many under 500 feet across in size,” McKinnon wrote. “In other words, they’re missing building and skyscraper-sized boulders that, if they hit, could wipe out a city, a region or a small country and kill millions in the process.”

For the former presidential adviser, this kind of disaster can only be averted if leaders of countries work together and pool in their resources to establish an effective planetary defense system.

“President [Donald] Trump and all world leaders should immediately focus on solutions,” he wrote. “First and foremost, they should arrive at a consensus on the best way to detect and deflect asteroids on a direct path to Earth.”

McKinnon also said that the U.S. and NASA should fast-track their plans for the Moon and other deep space missions since these could provide new solutions against potential asteroid strikes.