Something similar was revealed in the summary NASA released after conducting a hypothetical asteroid impact “tabletop” exercise to understand how any likely asteroid impact scenario can be averted. While NASA has been working to avert any such disaster, participants in the summary pointed out the main problem they might face if an asteroid impact becomes likely. The simulation had an asteroid with a 72 per cent chance of hitting Earth in 2038, impacting North America, Southern Europe, and North Africa. Lindley Johnson, a NASA planetary defense officer emeritus, said in a press release, that an asteroid impact is the only natural disaster man has the technology to predict. The NASA summary carries anonymous comments, one of which reads, "I know what I would prefer [to do], but Congress will tell us to wait."
