tech
‘This was the real thing’: Meet the woman who alerts the world when an asteroid could hit
Aarti Holla-Maini of the UN’s Office for Outer Space Affairs is primed to spot a potential planetary strike – and a year ago, she thought the moment had come
TL;DR
- Aarti Holla-Maini, director of Unoosa, is responsible for notifying the UN Secretary-General about potential asteroid threats to Earth.
- In late 2024, Unoosa issued its first real global notification for asteroid 2024 YR4, initially estimated to be the size of a small building.
- The probability of 2024 YR4 impacting Earth grew to over 1% for a strike in 2032, meeting criteria for notification due to its potential destructive energy.
- The event was a real-time test of international response mechanisms, including coordination with the International Asteroid Warning Network and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group.
- Unoosa also manages other critical space-related tasks, such as registering satellites, facilitating disaster response through satellite imagery (UN-Spider), and promoting space law.
- The agency recently handled a near-collision scenario between a Malaysian and a North Korean satellite, successfully averting disaster without direct bilateral communication with North Korea.
- Despite its small size and budget, Unoosa's team is highly efficient and handles significant responsibilities in space affairs and planetary defense.