NASA boss warns major asteroid strike on Earth could happen in our lifetime as he calls for global study into threat they pose to our planet

DOOMSDAY DRILLS

His warning comes as NASA prepares for a possibly imminent “doomsday” by rehearsing what would happen if an asteroid was hurtling to Earth.

The space agency is taking part in five days of mock scenarios along with other international organisations to test their preparedness for an apocalyptic asteroid crash.

Demonstrating how close we could be to such a scenario really occurring, Mr Bridenstine pointed to what's been dubbed the Chelyabinsk Event.

In February 2013, a meteor blazed across the Ural Mountains before smashing into the remote area of southern Russia.

It was the single largest recorded meteor strike in more than a century - after the Tunguska Event of 1908.

More than 1,600 people were injured by the shock wave from the massive explosion - which rippled out for hundreds of miles around.

The power of the impact was estimated to be as strong as 20 Hiroshima atomic bombs.

INCREASING REGULARITY

Such devastating events are normally thought to occur roughly once every 60 years.

But Mr Bridenstine said there have been three in the last 100 years - suggesting their regularity is increasing at a potentially devastating rate.

It means that another event on the scale of the Chelyabinsk Event could occur within our lifetime.

And its impact could be calamitous if it was to occur in a more built-up area like a town or city.

Likewise, should a similar asteroid strike occur in the ocean, the resulting wave could be colossal - wiping out whole islands, and coastal regions.

I wish I could tell you these events are exceptionally unique. But they are not

Jim BridensteinNASA administrator

Mr Bridenstine added: "I wish I could tell you these events are exceptionally unique.

"But they are not."

NASA is treating planetary defence as just a critical objective as space exploration and sending humans to the moon once again.

The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been tasked with studying near-earth objects (NEOs) to record their behaviour and better predict when an asteroid strike could occur.

NEOs are seen as any objects that orbit the sun and come within 30million miles of Earth’s orbit.