
How to Kill an Asteroid
The Real Science of Planetary Defense
Robin George Andrews(Author)
WW Norton & Co (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 28. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-1-324-13136-6 (ISBN)
Description
There are approximately 25,000 "city killer" asteroids in near-Earth orbit. Small enough to evade detection, they are capable of large-scale destruction and represent our greatest cosmic threat. But in September 2022, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission crashed a spacecraft into a city killer, altering the asteroid's orbit and proving that we stand a chance against them.
In How to Kill an Asteroid, Robin George Andrews-who was at DART mission control when it happened-reveals the development of the technology that made it possible. In a narrative that reads like a sci-fi thriller, Andrews tells the story of the planetary defence movement, and introduces the international team of scientists and engineers now working to protect Earth.
In How to Kill an Asteroid, Robin George Andrews-who was at DART mission control when it happened-reveals the development of the technology that made it possible. In a narrative that reads like a sci-fi thriller, Andrews tells the story of the planetary defence movement, and introduces the international team of scientists and engineers now working to protect Earth.
Reviews / Votes
"[A] scientific page-turner that builds up to a great climax.... A direct hit." -- BBC Sky at Night "This vividly written book reads as much like a thriller as the film plots it is trying to correct... Andrews's dexterity in explaining complicated concepts, including how to knock asteroids off-orbit, makes this book well worth picking up, but that verbal vivacity is matched by deep reporting... You will finish the book as informed as you are entertained." -- New Scientist "[T]here is much here that will fascinate any space enthusiast." -- Literary ReviewMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
26 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
264 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-324-13136-6 (9781324131366)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2024
W. W. Norton & Company
€27.99
Available for download
Person
Robin George Andrews is an award-winning science journalist who regularly writes about the Earth, space, and planetary sciences for outlets including the New York Times, the Atlantic, National Geographic, Scientific American, Washington Post, Nature, Atlas Obscura, Quanta Magazine, among others. He lives in London, England.