The meteor strike happened on the same day that near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 will make a close flyby of Earth.

FORBES: Meteor Strikes Russia While Asteroid Misses Earth

For example, the robotic mission would help develop the precision flying techniques demanded by a manned mission to a near-Earth asteroid.

MSN: NASA might lasso an asteroid and drag it to orbit near moon

Binzel recently created a 10-point scale for estimating the threat of a near-Earth asteroid, with zero indicating no chance of an Earth impact and 10 indicating a certain Earth impact with severe, global damage.

CNN: Scientists reduce odds of Earth-asteroid collision

The world was already on edge in anticipation of the close-shave flyby of the near earth asteroid 2012 DA14, which was unexpectedly followed within the next 72 hours by two other separate fireballs over Northern California and parts of Florida.

FORBES: NASA Eager To Analyze Russian Meteor Fragments

Near-Shoemaker began its life as simply Near: Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.

BBC: At a glance: Asteroid touchdown

It might sound like the plot of a Hollywood movie, but one gigantic asteroid is scheduled to come within 20, 000 miles of Earth in the near future -- a near miss in cosmic measurements -- and the possibility remains that it could hit our planet and cause catastrophic devastation never seen before.

CNN: Space's threat to civilization

This asteroid, like the one that will fly by on February 15, is considered a near-Earth object.

CNN: So, about that asteroid near Earth ...