What If a Massive Asteroid Was Headed Towards Earth
Where do we go
Day One: June 15, 2028
NASA has to face a harsh reality: it was wrong. In 2004, astronomers David Tholen, Fabrizio Bernardi, and Roy Tucker discovered an asteroid named Apophis at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. Named after the Egyptian demon serpent that wreaks havoc, Apophis initially seemed to threaten Earth, with predictions setting its potential impact date for 2029. Over time, further observations led NASA’s Planetary Defense Office to confidently announce that Apophis would miss Earth, passing just 19,800 miles above – the closest approach in over 7,500 years.
Despite this assurance, NASA continued tracking Apophis using a spacecraft launched in 2016 to gather more details about the asteroid. The spacecraft’s findings were alarming: Apophis was not going to pass by Earth. It was on a collision course.
Day Two
NASA is in a state of urgency but hasn’t yet informed the public. Scientists are conducting rigorous calculations to confirm the impending impact. Telescopes, including the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson and Hawaii’s Pans-STARRS1, are capturing images of Apophis, providing reference points to track its movement against the fixed stars and galaxies. Despite initial 2004 data suggesting a miss, new calculations reveal that Apophis’s course has shifted. It will hit Earth.
Day Three
NASA’s findings are conclusive: Apophis is on its way. Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator since May 2021, demands specifics: the asteroid's shape, speed, and impact site. The data comes in: Apophis is peanut-shaped, 1,110 feet wide, and composed primarily of silicate, nickel, and iron. It is set to impact Earth on April 13, 2029, hitting the Atlantic Ocean at 45,000 miles per hour – faster than any man-made object.
Day Four
Nelson informs the President of the United States. In a high-stakes meeting, Nelson describes Apophis’s devastating potential: while not an extinction-level event, it will strike with the force of 1,000 megatons of TNT, or 19.2 times the Tsar Bomba’s power. The impact, just 15 miles off Florida’s coast, will generate tsunamis hundreds of meters high, decimating coastal cities and releasing massive amounts of water vapor, potentially altering the climate.
Day 20
NASA finalizes its response. Drawing from the successful Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in 2021, where a rocket altered the orbit of a smaller asteroid, NASA plans to use a Falcon Heavy rocket from SpaceX to divert Apophis. The target is set, and preparations begin.
Day 25
Elon Musk, informed of the situation, agrees to use a Falcon Heavy rocket for the mission. This powerful rocket, capable of generating five million pounds of thrust, will aim to strike Apophis at over 10,000 miles per hour. NASA’s hope is to significantly alter Apophis’s trajectory.
Day 40: Launch Day
Falcon Heavy is ready. SpaceX and NASA teams, experienced from past collaborations, prepare the rocket at Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A. As Apophis travels at 45,000 miles per hour, precise calculations are crucial for Falcon Heavy to intercept it. The launch is successful, and the rocket is on its way.
Day 50
The President addresses the nation, revealing the impending threat of Apophis and the ongoing efforts to avert disaster. He outlines the evacuation plans for Florida, supported by FEMA and the state’s governor. Over the next 200 days, Florida will be evacuated in phases, with shelters ready in middle America.
Day 52 to Day 252
Despite initial chaos, with many Floridians fleeing prematurely, the evacuation plan begins to stabilize. The President’s consistent communication helps manage the process, though some remain skeptical and refuse to leave. By Day 252, about 95% of Florida is evacuated.
Day 255: Impact Day
Falcon Heavy hits Apophis at 10,000 miles per hour, but the impact only slightly alters its course. New data reveals a worse outcome: Apophis is now set to strike Miami directly.
Day 258
NASA confirms the new impact site. The landfall will unleash catastrophic destruction, equivalent to hundreds of nuclear weapons, obliterating Miami and surrounding areas, and potentially triggering global climate effects. The President calls for another press briefing to deliver the grave news.
Day 300
Apophis is visible to the naked eye. Panic ensues among the remaining Floridians, but many have already evacuated.
Day 303: Apophis Strikes
Apophis hits Miami at 21 kilometers per second, creating a 1.3-mile-wide crater. The impact generates a massive fireball, tsunami, shockwave, and devastating winds. Miami is obliterated, with significant damage extending for miles. The President’s evacuation efforts save millions, but the destruction is immense.
Day 304 and Beyond
Rescue operations cannot commence immediately due to the devastation and environmental hazards. The world braces for the long-term consequences of Apophis’s impact, hoping to recover and rebuild in the aftermath.
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