How Gaia data could help us tackle asteroid impacts
Scientists just shared new ways to protect Earth from asteroid impacts, using data from ESA's Gaia mission.
The studies, presented last month at the Europlanet Science Congress 2025, reveal how understanding asteroid spin and targeting the right spots can make deflection missions safer and smarter.
Understanding the spin game
Wen-Han Zhou's team found that asteroid spins are shaped by a tug-of-war between collisions (which make them tumble) and internal friction (which keeps them steady).
Using AI on Gaia data, they spotted clear differences between fast spinners and slow tumblers.
Sunlight also nudges stable asteroids' spins, but not tumblers.
Plus, since many asteroids are basically loose piles of rocks held together by gravity, this affects how we might move them if one ever heads our way.
Mapping the best strike zones
Rahil Makadia's group mapped out where to hit an asteroid so it won't accidentally get sent back toward Earth through "gravitational keyholes"—those sneaky orbital paths that could bring it around again.
By simulating impacts on Bennu (using NASA OSIRIS-REx mission data), they figured out the safest strike zones for future missions.
This kind of planning could seriously up our planetary defense game—making sure we dodge danger without creating new risks.