Space group wants focus on large asteroids

Space group wants focus on large asteroids A U.S.-led group, the Association of Space Explorers, says the international community must develop a coordinated response to the threat of asteroids. The group, which represents 320 individuals from 34 nations who have flown in space, said the asteroid Apophis is to pass close to the Earth in 2036, with a one in 45,000 chance of a collision. An impact by Apophis would generate the equivalent of a 500-megaton blast and inflict enormous damage, the group said in a report released in September.