The British government has revealed plans to create a taskforce dedicated to planning for a galactic catastrophe it was revealed Monday.
Should the earth be threatened by imminent destruction from an enormous asteroid or comet the new unit will consider possible courses of action. This includes firing nuclear weapons at the incoming lump of rock or even evacuating massive areas of the earth's surface.
Science Minister Lord Sainsbury is spearheading the effort to create the new outpost in order to help co-ordinate an international effort.
Small, space-borne fragments of rock constantly impact upon the earth's surface and astronomers are identifying an increasing number of "near earth objects" (NEOs).