--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bringing an asteroid back to Earth?…" description: "\"Bringing an asteroid back to Earth? What's that have to do with space exploration? If we were moving outward from there, and an asteroid is a good stop..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/buzz-aldrin-954_asteroid_bringing-an-asteroid-back-to-earth-what_3022339.jpg" --- # Bringing an asteroid back to Earth? What's that have to do… ![“Bringing an asteroid back to Earth? What's that have to do with space exploration? If we were moving outward from there, and an asteroid is a good stopping point, then fine. But now it's turned into a whole planetary defense exercise at the cost of our outward exploration.” quote by Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/buzz-aldrin-954_asteroid_bringing-an-asteroid-back-to-earth-what_3022339.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/buzz-aldrin-954_asteroid_bringing-an-asteroid-back-to-earth-what_3022339.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/buzz-aldrin-954_asteroid_bringing-an-asteroid-back-to-earth-what_3022339.jpg) > “Bringing an asteroid back to Earth? What's that have to do with space exploration? If we were moving outward from there, and an asteroid is a good stopping point, then fine. But now it's turned into a whole planetary defense exercise at the cost of our outward exploration.” [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Asteroid missions are framed as planetary defense, diverting focus from outward space exploration. **In simple terms:** Asteroid focus shifts resources from deep space. Key Takeaway Balance defense and exploration goals. Themes space policy exploration defense Mood critical strategic Type policy strategic When to use this quote - NASA planning - budget debates - international cooperation Key Concepts resource allocation scientific priorities public perception Questions to Reflect On - How can both goals coexist? - What benefits arise from asteroid study? A Different Perspective Defense is essential for safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asteroid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asteroid/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-exploration/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [The story seems to be that almost every star has a planetary system... and, also, the definition of 'habitable zone' has expanded. In our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-drake/the-story-seems-to-be-that-almost-every-star-has-a-planetary-system/) [Frank Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-drake/) > [Because the planetary culture is becoming ever more closely knitted together all its parts are becoming co-dependent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/because-the-planetary-culture-is-becoming-ever-more-closely-knitted/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“This is the light of the mind, cold and planetary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/this-is-the-light-of-the-mind-cold-and-planetary/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [In the seventeenth century, the science of medicine had not wholly cut asunder from astrology and necromancy; and the trusting Christian still believed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-morse-earle/in-the-seventeenth-century-the-science-of-medicine-had-not-wholly-cut/) [Alice Morse Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-morse-earle/) > [We're all on-board the same planetary spaceship, but together, we can move mountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-payette/we-re-all-on-board-the-same-planetary-spaceship-but-together-we-can/) [Julie Payette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-payette/) > [My field is called planetary science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/my-field-is-called-planetary-science/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [“Uncle Yuichi: Something's moving up there? Hmm... I don't see anything. It was probably a satelite. Punpun (with gums flapping): Could I have discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inio-asano/uncle-yuichi-something-s-moving-up-there-hmm-i-don-t-see-anything-it/) [Inio Asano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inio-asano/) > [Always try to be the {guiding star of a mans life, but never make the mistake of fancying that you are his whole planetary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvie/always-try-to-be-the-guiding-star-of-a-mans-life-but-never-make-the/) [Arvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvie/) > [It is a mystic maxim that the lower in the scale of evolution a being is placed, the more certainly it responds to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/it-is-a-mystic-maxim-that-the-lower-in-the-scale-of-evolution-a-being/) [Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/) > [All life on Earth is subject to the rumbles and rockings of the parent stucture which has no control over the disastrous effects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/all-life-on-earth-is-subject-to-the-rumbles-and-rockings-of-the/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [“But human beings, too, are ephemeral things in the planetary scale. The number of things that they do not notice are literally astronomical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/but-human-beings-too-are-ephemeral-things-in-the-planetary-scale-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [The Kuiper Belt is the largest mapped structure in our planetary system, three times as big as all the territory from the sun out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/the-kuiper-belt-is-the-largest-mapped-structure-in-our-planetary/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [The planetary phase of history has begun, but the future shape of global society remains profoundly uncertain. Though perhaps improbable, a shift toward a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raskin/the-planetary-phase-of-history-has-begun-but-the-future-shape-of/) Paul Raskin > [I read 'The High Frontier' in high school. I read it multiple times, and I was already primed. As soon as I read it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-read-the-high-frontier-in-high-school-i-read-it-multiple-times-and/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [There's no rest when you're on planetary duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/there-s-no-rest-when-you-re-on-planetary-duty/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) ## More by Buzz Aldrin > [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [A family needs to work as a team, supporting each other's individual aims and aspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/a-family-needs-to-work-as-a-team-supporting-each-other-s-individual/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [In space, you don't get that much noise. Noise doesn't propagate in a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/in-space-you-don-t-get-that-much-noise-noise-doesn-t-propagate-in-a/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I'm sure the most favorite airplane in my career would still be the Sabre F86 cleft wing , which allowed me to be credited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-m-sure-the-most-favorite-airplane-in-my-career-would-still-be-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [For every winner, there's a loser. And that person didn't really need to lose. They just didn't understand the game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/for-every-winner-there-s-a-loser-and-that-person-didn-t-really-need/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [The society of life on Mars, or the challenge of making Mars more livable, will have significant benefits on our attempts to modify and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/the-society-of-life-on-mars-or-the-challenge-of-making-mars-more/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/exploration-is-wired-into-our-brains-if-we-can-see-the-horizon-we/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [“I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-believe-that-every-human-has-a-finite-number-of-heart-beats-i-don-t/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [There is very little doubt, in my mind, that what the next monumental achievement of humanity will be the first landing by an Earthling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-is-very-little-doubt-in-my-mind-that-what-the-next-monumental/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [ Weve got to go \[back to the moon\]. But we dont want to stay too long. ... The ultimate goal is Mars. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/weve-got-to-go-back-to-the-moon-but-we-dont-want-to-stay-too-long-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I want to keep on the move, keep stimulated and challenged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-want-to-keep-on-the-move-keep-stimulated-and-challenged/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [America can take man to the moon, and America can take men to Mars - and beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/america-can-take-man-to-the-moon-and-america-can-take-men-to-mars-and/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I don't believe any pair of people had been more removed physically from the rest of the world than we were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-don-t-believe-any-pair-of-people-had-been-more-removed-physically/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [We have the ability, at such high fidelity, to simulate the physical world through computers. But when the spiritual world or human behavior comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/we-have-the-ability-at-such-high-fidelity-to-simulate-the-physical/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I do celebrity ski races all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-do-celebrity-ski-races-all-over-the-world/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) [Explore all 319 Buzz Aldrin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## More Asteroid quotes > [I don't want to be the embarrassment of the galaxy to have had the power to deflect an asteroid, and then not and end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-be-the-embarrassment-of-the-galaxy-to-have-had-the/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [There are all these interesting rules about asteroid nomenclature. Once you discover it, you have the right to name it, but there's a catch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/there-are-all-these-interesting-rules-about-asteroid-nomenclature/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [“The world’s refusal to leave me out of its activities made me consider its destruction. Bring on the wave. Please, the asteroid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-nevill/the-world-s-refusal-to-leave-me-out-of-its-activities-made-me/) [Adam Nevill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-nevill/) > [An asteroid impact in the worst case scenario is a terrifying thing. It seems very uncontrollable: in popular culture, it's often a metaphor for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/an-asteroid-impact-in-the-worst-case-scenario-is-a-terrifying-thing/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [I only hope that we shall not wait to adopt the program until after our astronomers have reported a new and unsuspected asteroid moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wernher-von-braun/i-only-hope-that-we-shall-not-wait-to-adopt-the-program-until-after/) [Wernher von Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wernher-von-braun/) > [Back in the day, I've heard, particularly with the near-Earth asteroids, there were some asteroid hunters that knew the names of every one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/back-in-the-day-i-ve-heard-particularly-with-the-near-earth-asteroids/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [“50 light years from Earth, there is a 2,600-mile-long asteroid made of diamond.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bathroom-readers-institute/50-light-years-from-earth-there-is-a-2-600-mile-long-asteroid-made-of/) [Bathroom Readers' Institute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bathroom-readers-institute/) > [And you know, talk about something else is falling from the sky. And that is an asteroid. What's coming our way? Is this an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-feyerick/and-you-know-talk-about-something-else-is-falling-from-the-sky-and/) Deborah Feyerick > [Lots of science fiction deals with distant times and places. Intrepid prospectors in the Asteroid Belt. Interstellar epics. Galactic empires. Trips to the remote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/lots-of-science-fiction-deals-with-distant-times-and-places-intrepid/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [I've seen Australia and I've lived on an asteroid and I'd take the asteroid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-ve-seen-australia-and-i-ve-lived-on-an-asteroid-and-i-d-take-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [ Imagine a giant asteroid on a direct collision course with Earth. That is the equivalent of what we face now \[with climate change\], yet… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hansen/imagine-a-giant-asteroid-on-a-direct-collision-course-with-earth-that/) [James Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hansen/) > [If we found a hazardous asteroid, we could nudge it out of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/if-we-found-a-hazardous-asteroid-we-could-nudge-it-out-of-the-way/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [What happens if a big asteroid hits Earth ? Judging from realistic simulations involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-happens-if-a-big-asteroid-hits-earth-judging-from-realistic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's much more likely that an asteroid will strike the Earth and annihilate life as we know it than AI will turn evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/it-s-much-more-likely-that-an-asteroid-will-strike-the-earth-and/) [Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/) > [“Outside the port, the slashed rock of the unnamed asteroid tumbled and spun in dynamics known only to the gods of chaos mathematics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/outside-the-port-the-slashed-rock-of-the-unnamed-asteroid-tumbled-and/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) [Browse all 53 Asteroid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asteroid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Bringing an asteroid back to Earth? 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