From Stardust to STEAM: Why National Asteroid Day Matters for India’s Future
- Uttam Sharma
- Jun 30
- 4 min read
On June 30, 1908, the skies over Tunguska, Siberia, burst open. A mysterious explosion—20x more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb—flattened over 2,000 square kilometers of forest, glass shattered in distant towns, and the skies lit up as if the sun had risen twice. This was the Tunguska Event—the largest asteroid-related impact in recorded human history.
What Is National Asteroid Day?
In 2016, the United Nations officially declared June 30 as International Asteroid Day, commemorating the Tunguska event and urging humanity to study, understand, and prepare for future asteroid impacts.
The idea for this global observance came not from a space agency, but from a unique group:
Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist and lead guitarist of Queen
Lord Martin Rees, UK’s Astronomer Royal
Grig Richters, filmmaker
Danica Remy, space advocate
Together, they launched Asteroid Day to bring together artists, scientists, educators, and engineers under a shared mission: protecting Earth through knowledge.
And that’s where STEAM comes in—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Because surviving in space isn’t just about rockets; it’s about thinking differently.
Why Asteroid Day Matters More Now Than Ever
In the past few decades, humanity has cataloged over 37,400 Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)—asteroids and comets that pass within 1.3 AU (astronomical units) of Earth. Some, like Apophis, are large enough to destroy cities or continents.
But the good news? We’re finally doing something about it.
In 2022, NASA's DART mission successfully smashed into the asteroid Dimorphos, changing its orbit by 33 minutes— First real test of planetary defense.
The Vera Rubin Observatory is scanning the skies faster than ever, discovering 2,000 asteroids in just 10 hours.
ESA’s Hera mission, Japan’s Hayabusa2, and NASA’s OSIRIS-REx are collecting samples and studying impact dynamics.
And India? We're finding our place in this story—one telescope, one student, and one sky map at a time.
India’s Emerging Role: From Stargazing to Planetary Strategy
India hasn’t yet launched its own asteroid mission. But the spark is already lit. The All India Asteroid Search Campaign (AIASC) by SPACE India is one of the world’s largest asteroid discovery programs for students and researchers.
7,000+ students trained
60+ provisional asteroid discoveries of NEOs
Institutes like IUCAA, IIA, ARIES, and the GROWTH-India telescope (a collaboration with IIT Bombay) are already tracking NEOs.
In 2021, GROWTH-India tracked asteroid 2011 MW1 moving at a speed of 29,000 km/h—proof that Indian eyes are watching the skies. And when a meteorite landed in Kopargaon, Maharashtra, analysis by PRL Ahmedabad traced it back to asteroid Itokawa—the very asteroid sampled by Japan’s Hayabusa mission.
🛰️ ISRO’s Intent
India’s space agency has signaled interest in joining the global planetary defense effort—possibly through a mission linked to Apophis, expected to pass close to Earth in 2029.
How STEAM can contribute?
Asteroid science is a rich example of how STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics—works together to deepen our understanding of the universe. Through science, we study the orbits of asteroids, analyze their composition, and investigate the physics of impact events. Technology enables this exploration, from robotic telescopes that scan the skies to missions like NASA’s DART, and even the use of AR/VR tools in schools to bring space science alive for students. Engineering plays a vital role in designing asteroid deflection missions, early warning systems, and spacecraft capable of tracking or interacting with space rocks. Meanwhile, the arts help translate complex space data into compelling narratives, using media, films, and games to capture public imagination and awareness. Finally, mathematics ties it all together—modeling asteroid trajectories, calculating probabilities of impact, and powering the algorithms that keep us informed. As one powerful reminder puts it:
Asteroid science isn’t just about avoiding doom—it’s a gateway to learning how our universe works, and why we matter in it.
📚 What is happening around the Globe?
Different nations are building up new areas of work in the asteroid space. Let's look at them.
🌐 Region | Mission | Purpose |
USA (NASA) | DART, OSIRIS-REx, NEO Surveyor | Deflection, sample collection, threat mapping |
Europe (ESA) | Hera | Impact assessment post-DART |
Japan (JAXA) | Hayabusa2 | Returned samples from asteroid Ryugu |
India | Citizen Science + Meteorite studies | Emerging player, observatory-based research |
SPACE India’s STEAM programs have already reached over 30,000 students across 300+ schools, using:
Augmented Reality storytelling
DIY telescopes and sky maps
Code-based asteroid simulations
3D modeling of space missions
From Srinagar to Chennai, a new generation of young asteroid hunters is emerging—not just learning science, but creating it.
On this National Asteroid Day, as we look up at the same sky that once exploded in Tunguska, we must ask:
Will India remain an observer—or become a protector of Earth?
We already have the passion. We have the institutions. And with STEAM, we have the right toolkit. It’s time to embed asteroid science in our education, policy, and imagination—turning students into explorers, storytellers, and space defenders.
Because in the vast silence of space, the next roar could come without warning. And preparation is the ultimate form of peace.
📚 References
United Nations Asteroid Day Initiative – un.org
NASA CNEOS NEO Stats – cneos.jpl.nasa.gov
Wikipedia: Near-Earth Objects – en.wikipedia.org
Vera Rubin Observatory Data – arxiv.org
SPACE India AIASC Campaign – space-india.com
GROWTH-India Telescope – iucaa.in
Kopargaon Meteorite Itokawa Link – timesofindia.indiatimes.com
ISRO Planetary Defense Plans – economictimes.indiatimes.com
Comments