alternatehistory.com

In 1970, a few months before the mid-term elections, very early one morning, when no-one is there (or very few people are), A smallish meteor hits the US Capitol building, seriously damaging the south wing, where the House of Representatives (and joint sessions of the Congress) meets. Nobody is killed, but everyone is aware that if it had happened when the HoR was in session, there would have been an emergency election soon after.

A lot of Congressmen, Senators, and reporters talk to a lot of astronomers, who tell them of the large number of asteroids out there, the near certainty of more impacts, how much worse it could have been, and the fact that just blowing up the rocks is unlikely to help. Of course, reporters exaggerate things, and politicians mostly misunderstand, but most of the US, and many people in foreign nations, have the feeling that Something Must Be Done. Naturally, legislators feel that they Must Be Seen To Be Doing Something (especially in the US, with elections coming up).

So, what do they do, and how does it affect the future of the various Space Programs?
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