Home / Series / NOVA / Aired Order / Season 40 / Episode 24

Asteroid: Doomsday or Payday?

The asteroid that exploded over Siberia—injuring more than 1,000 and damaging buildings in six cities—was a shocking reminder that Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting range. From the width of a football field to the size of a small city, these space rocks have the potential to be killers. In a collision with Earth, they could set off deadly blast waves, raging fires and colossal tidal waves. But some audacious entrepreneurs look up at asteroids and see payday, not doomsday. Some asteroids are loaded with billions of dollars’ worth of elements like iron, nickel, and platinum. NASA is planning an ambitious mission to return samples from a potentially hazardous asteroid, and would-be asteroid miners are dreaming up their own program to scout for potentially profitable asteroids. Will asteroids turn out to be our economic salvation—or instruments of extinction?

English
  • Originally Aired November 20, 2013
  • Runtime 60 minutes
  • Content Rating United States of America TV-PG
  • Production Code 4024
  • Network PBS
  • Notes Is a season finale
  • Created November 6, 2021 by
    WadeMasshardt
  • Modified November 6, 2021 by
    WadeMasshardt
Name Type Role
Craig Sechler Guest Star
Jonathan Challis Director