With more than 300 man-made objects expected to bombard the Earth’s atmosphere in 2025, defending the planet is a challenge taken seriously by Australian and international space experts.

NASA Acting Planetary Defense Officer Kelly Fast said Earth is also struck by about 40 tons of space rock every day.

Dr Fast and her colleagues track about 37,000 near-Earth asteroids. She said: “The asteroid hazard is a global issue. The first order of business is finding asteroids.”

Dr Fast said there were a few different forms of technology that could be used to neutralise the threat from an asteroid.

A spacecraft called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test slammed into an asteroid called Dimorphous in September 2022, successfully changing the orbit of the 160 meter diameter celestial body.

She added: “And then there’s what we always like to call ‘The Hollywood Option’, because it’s what is always used in the movies─a nuclear deflection.”

But Dr Fast said such a technique could create an even more hazardous debris field made up of bits of the exploded asteroid.

Last year an asteroid called 2024 YR4 was discovered, with calculations indicating it may come close to Earth in just seven years’ time.

With a diameter of approximately 50 meters, if it struck a populated area, the asteroid could destroy an area of approximately 2000 square kilometres.

Dr Fast also has the honour of having an asteroid named after her. Asteroid Kellyfast, formerly know as Asteroid 115434, is about as big as Mt Everest and is orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. With a laugh she said, “like pretty much all asteroids that are named for people, let’s hope they stay safely out in the main belt,” rather than coming nearer to Earth.

It’s not just rocky bodies looming over the planet. As of May 2025, the US Space Surveillance Network tracked more than 47,000 man-made objects in space, including 11,500 active satellites and tens of thousands of pieces of space junk.

One of this year’s nominees at the Australian Space Awards is the executive director of the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy, Professor Steven Tingay. His team is nominated in the category of Space Situational Awareness for their novel way of tracking satellites.

With current technology it’s not possible to accurately determine the location of each satellite orbiting the Earth, increasing the risk of collisions, with the potential to destroy millions of dollars worth of hardware.

Professor Tingay said their idea involves attaching a small radio beacon to every satellite that goes into orbit. “Those beacons go ‘ping’, and from the pings, we can tell which satellite it is, where it is, and how it’s moving,” he said.

Despite the relatively low chance of a large asteroid hitting earth, some people aren’t taking any chances.

Ron, who would prefer not to have his last name published, works as a safety management consultant. He provides advice on social media to Perth residents on “doomsday prepping”.

He said whether you’re preparing for war or an asteroid strike, the principles are the same. You need water, food and shelter.

Ron recommends all homeowners install a rain water tank, and have a supply of water purification tablets.

He said everyone should have a three-month supply of food in the house.

He also recommends people have a tarpaulin for shelter, as well as a knife and a lighter in their prepper kits.

If all of this has you thinking more about space, Dr Fast will be presenting a talk at the Australian Space Awards in Sydney on May 28. She said she’ll be emphasising the important role Australia can play in keeping the planet safe from the threat of asteroids.