Asteroid Day was founded in part by an astronaut.
Asteroid Day . It was co-founded by filmmaker Grigorij Richters , B612 Foundation COO Danica Remy , Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart and Brian May , Queen guitarist and astrophysicist . Russell Louis `` Rusty '' Schweickart ( also Schweikart ; born October 25 , 1935 ) is an American aeronautical engineer , and a former NASA astronaut , research scientist , U.S. Air Force fighter pilot , as well as a former business executive and government executive .