New Telescope ‘Could Save Earth From Asteroid Impact’

A new telescope could offer a vital early warning of a devastating asteroid impact - but there’s one tiny problem.

The NEOCam project needs half a billion dollars - or it won’t happen.

The infrared space telescope would not be looking for huge ‘planet-killer’ asteroids - such as the one thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs - as existing telescopes already scan for those.

Instead, it would focus on smaller ‘near Earth objects’ - and the infrared telescope would increase the number of smaller asteroids we can detect, by a factor of ten.

Millions of smaller asteroids are thought to remain undetected in the solar system.

The explosion caused by a smaller impact could level cities - in 1908, the ‘Tunguska Event’ levelled an area of forest about 40 miles wide after an airborne explosion from a meteor.

The NEOCam project is one of five proposals competing for funding under NASA’s Discovery program.

It’s currently being investigated, with a team conducting concept designs.

NASA will make the final decision in September 2016.