Russia may send spacecraft to knock away asteroid

Russia's space agency chief said a spacecraft may be dispatched to knock a large asteroid off course and reduce the chances of earth impact, even though U.S. scientists say such a scenario is unlikely. The space agency would hold a meeting soon to assess a mission to Apophis. Agency might eventually invite NASA, the European Space Agency, the Chinese space agency and others to join the project.When the 270-meter (885-foot) asteroid was first discovered in 2004, astronomers estimated its chances of smashing into Earth in its first flyby, in 2029.