For more than two hundred years, astronomers have been wondering what asteroids are actually like. They believe that these primitive rocks have been concealing countless secrets for billions of years: they are time capsules that will allow them to go back in time to the formation of the solar system and the creation of Earth.

Recently, major space agencies around the world have sent unmanned missions to asteroids. The most daring ones are collecting samples and bringing them back to Earth. These expeditions hold a host of surprises for researchers and shake up our understanding of these celestial bodies. At first glance, it appears unlikely that they can threaten us. But, while some circle the sun, like planets, others cross paths with Earth’s orbit.

What seemed like science fiction, has now become reality: in order to avoid a cataclysmic collision, we are currently learning how to deflect asteroids from their celestial path!