Plot

After discovering that an asteroid the size of Texas will impact Earth in less than a month, NASA recruits a misfit team of deep-core drillers to save the planet.

In "Armageddon," a catastrophic meteor shower destroys the Space Shuttle Atlantis and devastates parts of the world. NASA discovers that a Texas-sized asteroid is on a collision course with Earth, threatening global extinction in 18 days. To prevent this disaster, NASA recruits Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), the world's best deep-sea oil driller, and his team to plant a nuclear bomb deep within the asteroid. After rigorous training and harrowing challenges in space, Harry and his crew face numerous obstacles, including a crash landing and deadly rock storms. Ultimately, Harry sacrifices himself to ensure the bomb detonates, splitting the asteroid and saving Earth. The film concludes with the surviving crew returning as heroes, honoring their fallen comrades.—Marvin Kalngan

A shuttle's unfortunate demise in outer space alerts NASA to a doomsday asteroid that is on a collision course with Earth. it seems that the only way to knock it off course is to drill into its surface and detonate a nuclear weapon. But as NASA's underfunded yet resourceful team trains the world's best drillers for the job, the world's social order begins to break down as the information reaches the public and hysteria results. As high-ranking officials play politics with the effort, members of the drilling team face deep personal issues that might jeopardize humanity's last chance.—Paul Cezanne <[email protected]>

After New York City is damaged by hundreds of small meteorites, NASA discovers an asteroid the size of Texas is on a collision course with Earth. They recruit the world's best deep-core driller, Harry Stamper, to train astronauts who will go to the asteroid, drill into the center and detonate a nuclear warhead. Harry says he can't train men to drill in 10 days, so he brings in his own team of roughnecks to learn to become astronauts and get the job done. One of his team is his own daughter's fiancé.—Jason Ihle <[email protected]>

While fixing a satellite in orbit, the Space Shuttle Atlantis is destroyed by a meteor shower, killing the entire crew. Meteorites then bombard New York City and several other parts of the world, and NASA discovers that an asteroid the size of Texas, traveling at 22,000 miles per hour, will collide with Earth in 18 days, effectively destroying the planet. The meteors were pushed out of the asteroid belt by a collision from a rogue comet-which also dislodged a massive asteroid the size of Texas.

The scientists at NASA - in cooperation with the Russian, Japanese and other European space agencies - plan to detonate a nuclear bomb at a precise point under the asteroid's surface which will split it in two and cause it to miss the Earth. However, the bombs must be planted at least 800 feet below the surface within eight hours of landing, and no later than four hours before the Earth impact. The mission is not revealed to the public, fearing panic.

NASA locates Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), because he could help them drill a hole on the asteroid. Harry is a third-generation oil driller and owner of a oil drilling company. When invited to NASA, Harry brings his daughter Grace (Liv Tyler) to keep her away from A.J. (Ben Affleck), a young, rambunctious member of his crew who, he has just discovered, has been sleeping with her. This disappoints and infuriates Harry because he did not want his daughter to marry an oil driller like himself or remain in the blue-collar life.

Head of NASA Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) informs Harry of the dire situation. Harry recognizes that he and his crew must accompany the astronauts to ensure the job is done properly. After Harry's crew (driller Jayotis "Bear" Kurleenbear (Michael Clarke Duncan), Max Lennert (Ken Campbell) & AJ, geologist Rockhound (Steve Buscemi), geologist Oscar Choice (Owen Wilson), Charles "Chick" Chapple (Will Patton) his best friend plus right-hand man and some others) is collected and NASA acquiesces to their demands (no taxes ever, all loans waived off, all traffic tickets and criminal records wiped clean), they are put through a 12-day training program and outfit a drilling rig with the proper equipment.

Over twelve days, they are trained to become astronauts with astronaut Willie Sharp, who will pilot Freedom-one of the two super shuttles to fly to the asteroid, the other being the Independence. Before leaving, Chick apologizes to his ex-wife Denise (Judith Hoag) for wronging her and sees his son-who is unaware of his parentage. Grace accepts A.J.'s marriage proposal, much to Harry's reluctant dismay; she later has her father promise to return home safe and with her fiance.

After a meteorite strikes Shanghai, China, destroying the city and causing a tsunami, the incoming asteroid and pending mission are revealed to the world. Two military shuttles, Freedom and Independence, are launched and dock at a Russian space station (crewed by Lev Andropov (Peter Stormare)) to refuel with liquid oxygen propellant.

A.J. encounters a problem stopping the pumps after the ships' tanks are full. Leaky pipeline ignites the fuel pod on fire and the station explodes. The crews and Lev Andropov escape. Later, the two shuttles perform a high G-force powered slingshot procedure around the Moon, traveling at 22,500 miles per hour to intercept the asteroid.

As they enter the asteroid's wake, the Independence is struck by debris and crash-lands on the asteroid, killing most of its crew, including Oscar Choice, Freddie Noonan (Clark Brolly) and the Independence pilots. AJ, Lev and Bear survive. They embark in the shuttle's Armadillo to find the Freedom crew.

The Freedom lands on the surface but misses the target landing zone by 26 miles, arriving on an area of hard iron which will be difficult to drill through. The Freedom team tries to drill but suffers several setbacks and losses due to unexpected conditions.

Sharp reports to Mission Control that it is unlikely they will reach the depth necessary to destroy the asteroid before "Zero Barrier", the point after which detonating the rock will not save Earth. The President of the United States decides to remotely detonate the bomb from Earth immediately, not understanding this will cause total mission failure. At this point, communication with Earth is lost and Sharp locks everyone out of the shuttle as the clock counts down to detonation.

Harry convinces Colonel Sharp (William Fichtner) to deactivate the bomb and help them attempt to finish the job. Harry promises that he has never missed a target depth in his career. With just 250 feet left to drill, their drilling machine is blasted off the asteroid by a gas vent killing Max in the process.

When the crew radio report to NASA that the mission has failed, worldwide panic ensues as humanity braces for the end of the world. A massive meteoroid then strikes Paris, destroying most of the city. The Freedom crew learns that the other team managed to survive the crash thanks to Lev Andropov and A.J. and have driven the second drilling machine to the site. Harry puts A.J. in charge of finishing the drilling and they successfully drill to the necessary depth. The team lowers the nuclear bomb into the hole but are caught in a rock storm. The storm kills crew member Gruber (Grayson McCouch) and damages the remote on the bomb, rendering remote detonation useless.

With 18 minutes left, Truman tells the team that someone must stay behind to detonate the bomb. A.J. is chosen after drawing straws, but Harry disables A.J.'s air supply and takes his place. Harry forces him into the shuttle's air lock, before telling A.J. that he is the son Harry never had, and he would be proud to have him marry Grace

As the shuttle departs, Harry sends a message to his daughter, giving his full support for her to marry A.J. Harry detonates the bomb exactly at the deadline, causing the asteroid to split in two and miss the Earth by 400 miles, at the cost of his own life. The remaining crews of Freedom and Independence return to Earth as heroes.

A.J. reunites with Grace while the others are met by their loved ones. Grace and A.J. soon marry, while Harry and the other lost crew members are memorialized.