'This is going to be what makes the Earth secure.' How one California company plans to protect us from dangerous asteroids

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — Asteroid Apophis is set to whisk by Earth in 2029 and serve as a wake-up call for getting our planetary defense act together. Astronomers have shown that the huge chunk of extraterrestrial real estate will not hit Earth in 2029 , but will come closer to Earth than our geostationary communications satellites. Radar measurements estimate Apophis is roughly 1,500 feet (450 meters) wide and some 550 feet (170 meters) tall. …