Developing an Asteroid Impact Simulator for NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025

This page presents the proposal version of Meteor Madness, a project created for the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025. The idea is to build an educational web tool that simulates the impact of near-Earth asteroids and evaluates their environmental consequences using real data.

Relevant Links

You can find both the project paper and the repository here:

Project Motivation

The risk of asteroid impacts is rarely discussed, yet its potential consequences are enormous. Although large impacts are uncommon, they could still trigger tsunamis, earthquakes, and atmospheric disruption. The goal of this project is to make those risks more visible through an interactive and educational experience that can inform both the public and decision-makers.

Project Goals

General Goal

Develop an interactive web application capable of simulating the impact of near-Earth asteroids, helping users understand environmental consequences and explore mitigation strategies using real data from NASA and USGS APIs.

Specific Goals

1. Simulate the trajectories of near-Earth asteroids and visualize potential impacts.
2. Calculate environmental consequences such as craters, tsunamis, and seismic activity.
3. Integrate NASA and USGS APIs for reliable scientific data.
4. Provide an interactive interface where users can modify asteroid parameters such as size, velocity, and entry angle.
5. Include an educational layer that explains the science behind asteroid impacts and mitigation.

Project Methodology

Development Approach

The project follows an agile and iterative approach so the prototype can evolve quickly. The work is split into two major phases: trajectory simulation and impact effect visualization.

• Backend: Flask processes asteroid data and runs impact simulations, integrating NASA and USGS APIs.
• Frontend: React powers the interface, Three.js handles 3D visualization, and D3.js is used for 2D charts and affected-area views.
• Interactivity: Users can change asteroid parameters and immediately observe the simulated results.

Simulation Design

The system computes an asteroid’s orbital trajectory using data from the NASA NEO API. It also simulates impact effects such as crater formation, tsunamis, and earthquakes using existing scientific models, all presented in an interface accessible to a general audience.

Expected Results

The aim is to produce a functional prototype able to:

• Simulate and visualize asteroid trajectories
• Show impact effects in real time
• Teach users about asteroid science and mitigation strategies

Interface Sketches

The following mockups show how the interface was planned and how users would interact with the tool.

Progress

Conclusions

This project is not only technically interesting because it simulates asteroid impacts; it also has strong educational value. The tool is meant to help both scientists and the general public explore possible consequences and mitigation strategies. Over time, it could expand to cover more impact scenarios and more advanced asteroid deflection approaches.

This proposal is only the first step toward a more robust tool for astronomical risk management, but it already defines a clear direction for a compelling educational simulator.