NASA will host a virtual media briefing at 3:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, June 20, to discuss a new summary of a recent tabletop exercise to simulate national and international responses to a hypothetical asteroid impact threat.
The fifth biennial Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise was held April 2 and 3, 2024, at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.
NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, in partnership with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and with the assistance of the U.S. Department of State Office of Space Affairs, convened the tabletop exercise to inform and assess our ability as a nation to respond effectively to the threat of a potentially hazardous asteroid or comet. This exercise supports NASA's planetary defense strategy to protect our planet and continues the agency's mission to innovate for the benefit of humanity.
Video of the briefing will stream live on NASA TV and NASA's YouTube channel.
The following participants will review the history and purpose of the exercise, the scenario encountered during this year's simulation, and its findings and recommendations:
- Lindley Johnson, NASA's Planetary Defense Officer Emeritus, NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Leviticus "L.A." Lewis, FEMA detailee to NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, NASA Headquarters
- Terik Daly, planetary defense section supervisor, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland
