Asteroid: Doomsday Or Payday?
nova

The asteroid that exploded in the skies 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, the space rocks called asteroids 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. That's because some asteroids are loaded with billions of dollars-worth of elements like iron, nickel and even platinum. While NASA plans an ambitious mission to return samples from a potentially hazardous asteroid, 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?

Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 4024

About Nova:

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines.

Along the way, NOVA programs demystify science and technology and highlight the people involved in scientific pursuits.


Watch Nova - Clips, Episodes & Previews


Future Broadcast times for "Nova": (show all)

Sun, Jun 15 10:00 P.M. London Super Tunnel     NH Explore (11.2)
Mon, Jun 16 1:00 A.M. Extreme Airport Engineering     NH Explore (11.2)
Mon, Jun 16 2:00 A.M. London Super Tunnel     NH Explore (11.2)
Tue, Jun 17 7:00 P.M. Extreme Airport Engineering     NH World (11.3)
Tue, Jun 17 8:00 P.M. London Super Tunnel     NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 18 12:00 A.M. Extreme Airport Engineering     NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 18 1:00 A.M. London Super Tunnel     NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 18 8:00 A.M. Extreme Airport Engineering     NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 18 9:00 A.M. London Super Tunnel     NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 18 10:00 P.M. Alaskan Dinosaurs     NHPBS (11.1)
Thu, Jun 19 2:00 A.M. Alaskan Dinosaurs     NHPBS (11.1)
Sun, Jun 22 12:00 A.M. Alaskan Dinosaurs     NHPBS (11.1)
Sun, Jun 22 7:00 A.M. Alaskan Dinosaurs     NHPBS (11.1)
Wed, Jun 25 10:00 P.M. Great Mammoth Mystery     NHPBS (11.1)
Thu, Jun 26 2:00 A.M. Great Mammoth Mystery     NHPBS (11.1)
Fri, Jun 27 3:00 P.M. Great Mammoth Mystery     NHPBS (11.1)
Support for nhpbs.org provided by:
Protect My Public MediaBecome a nhpbs.org sponsor


NHPBS Over-the-Air Broadcast

WENH-TV Ch. 11 Durham

WLED-TV Ch. 48 Littleton

WEKW-TV Ch. 18 Keene

W50DP-D Ch. 50 Hanover

W34DQ-D Ch. 34 Pittsburg

Cable and Satellite Channels


NHPBS Five Channels

NHPBS - 11.1

NH Explore - 11.2

NH World - 11.3

NH Create - 11.4

NH Kids - 11.5

Learn More


 


Protect My Public Media

NHPBS NHPBS Passport Passport

This Old House | E26 | Westford Historic Renovation | Historical Gem Again
Ask This Old House | E26 | Mudroom Cubbies | Ask This Old House
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens | Enda Scahill
Doc World | Flying Hands
Antiques Roadshow | Never Seen That Before!
Bugs That Rule the World | The Lifegivers
Miss Austen | Episode 3
Independent Lens | Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's
Austin City Limits | Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Honors Garth Brooks
Great Performances | Now Hear This
American Masters | Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse [ASL]
Aging in America: Survive or Thrive | Aging in America: Survive or Thrive
O Pioneer | O Pioneer
In Their Own Words | Pope Francis
Changing Planet | River Restoration
NOVA | Secrets of the Forest
The Future of Nature | Humans
Nature | Salvation | Katavi: Africa's Fallen Paradise
The Corridors of Power | The Corridors of Power
Finding Your Roots | Finding My Roots
My Money Mentors | My First
Going Your Way | Going Your Way
Water: The Sacred Gift | Water: The Sacred Gift
Louisiana Coastal Cooking | Culinary Arts in the Heart of the Bayou Region
Nine Parts | Nine Parts
The Cure for Hate | The Cure for Hate
Wolf Hall | Episode 1: Wreckage
The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay | The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay
Rick Steves' Europe | Rick Steves' Poland
Marie Antoinette | The Pursuit of Happiness
Lucy Worsley Investigates | Bloody Mary
Crossroads of a Nation: Missouri's Indelible Role in American History | Crossroads of a Nation: Missouri's Indelible Role in American History
A Hymn for Peace: The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra Performs Beethoven's Ninth Symphony | A Hymn for Peace: The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra Performs Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
History with David Rubenstein | Alex Prud'homme
The Philadelphia Eleven | The Philadelphia Eleven
Beethoven's 9th - Ode to Joy | Beethoven's 9th - Ode to Joy
Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter | Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter
Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen | Alison Hammond
Secrets of the Dead | Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief (Part Two)
American Experience | Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP
Made With Love | America Made With Love
Great Migrations: A People on The Move | Coming to America