Russians Hope to Blow Up Asteroids With Missiles

Russian scientists reportedly want to shoot down space rocks.

According to Russian news agency TASS, scientists there hope to retrofit intercontinental ballistic missiles to target asteroids 20 to 50 meters in size that are traveling at a threatening proximity to Earth.

In 2036, one such asteroid – dubbed Apophis – is expected to come close to Earth, and the scientists would like to test the plan on this asteroid.

It would take permission and "several million dollars" in funding to modernize the ICBMs, Sabit Saitgarayev of Russia's Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau told TASS.

The plan might not please the U.S., particularly because NASA would prefer to divert potentially dangerous asteroids rather than destroy them in a blaze of glory and space debris, CNN reports.

Henry Melosh, an astrophysics professor at Purdue University, told CNN that the Russian plan is "misguided and potentially dangerous."

"There are other, safer ways to deflect asteroids with long lead times," he added