Nasa unable to protect Earth from asteroid Bennu which could hit in 2135

AN ENORMOUS space rock could crash into Earth by 2135 because Nasa's spacecraft - designed to protect our planet - will not be able to deflect it, scientists have warned.Nasa's HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) craft is meant to be able to steer huge rocks away on a trajectory, so they will not crash into Earth.The HAMMER craft is also able to destroy asteroids with nuclear bombs, but this is not the preferred option because of disastrous consequences.But US scientists have ruled the craft "inadequate", saying it will not be able to redirect the asteroid named Bennu.In a new study, academics who work alongside Nasa's scientists concluded, "using a single HAMMER spacecraft as a battering ram would prove inadequate for deflecting an object like Bennu".Kirsten Howley, a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National laboratory, said the small HAMMER spacraft could leave "dire consequences" on Earth.Asteroid Bennu, is as wide as five football fields, weighing approximately 79 billion kg - 1,664 times as heavy as the Titanic.According to the Metro, Bennu has a 1 in 2,700 chance of striking Earth on September 25 2135.Nasa's HAMMER craft is just nine metres tall, weighing almost nine tonnes.Scientists have estimated the asteroid could release as much as 80,000 energy more than the Hiroshima bomb.She said: "The study aims to help us shorten the response timeline when we do see a clear and present danger, so we can have more options to deflect it."The ultimate goal is to be ready to protect life on Earth." The team ruled that blasting Bennu could be Nasa's only option to keep Earth safe.HAMMER was devised by top experts, including Nasa, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and two Energy Department weapons labs, according to Buzzfeed.Scientists plan to present the asteroid-blasting system at a conference for asteroid experts in Japan this May.

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