: NASA recalls Dr. Paul Bradley (Sean Connery), the scientist who designed "Hercules"—a top-secret orbiting satellite armed with nuclear missiles. Originally intended for meteor defense, the military had secretly turned the missiles toward the Soviet Union.
: As the main rock approaches, smaller "splinters" strike Earth first, causing global catastrophes such as an avalanche in the Swiss Alps, a massive tsunami flooding Hong Kong, and destruction in Siberia. The Scientific and Political Crisis Meteor (1979)
: Bradley calculates that Hercules alone lacks the firepower to destroy the asteroid. To save the planet, the U.S. President (Henry Fonda) must admit the satellite's existence and convince the U.S.S.R. to use their own secret illegal satellite, "Peter the Great," in a joint strike. : NASA recalls Dr
: A newly discovered comet strikes the asteroid belt, shattering Orpheus. The largest fragment is 8 kilometers wide and moving at 30,000 mph, with an impact date set for six days. : As the main rock approaches, smaller "splinters"