A killer asteroid 66 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs and two-thirds of all life on Earth. Unfortunately, there are no defensive measures in place to predict exactly when or where another such killer rock will strike. Asteroid trackers estimate such events happen on a scale of millions of years in-between hits.

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But one space expert fears the certainty of cataclysm is too high to be ignored indefinitely.

Lembit Öpik, the Chairman of Parliament for the space nation Asgardia, told Express.co.uk humanity’s only option of survival is to leave the planet.

Mr Öpik said: “We do have to protect the Earth and that’s because the chances of an impact, as I’ve said before, are large enough to wipe out the human race and most other forms of life. It’s essentially 100 percent.

“So, we’re looking out at the threats, not in at them, and that is a fundamental element in our value system.”