How to fight an asteroid

Clark Parks, Idaho Falls, ID. — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 02:58:07 GMT

There are several ways of dealing with life threathing asteroids, and all of them are not the same. The way of dealing with each one will depend on the SIZE of the asteroid. Large ones, if found in time we might be able to attach a SOLAR SAIL and let the solar wind nudge them out of orbit. Smaller ones, we might be able to nudge out of the way wither LASER beam. It will all depend on th size.

How to fight an asteroid

Pat McNulty Oxford Al. — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 03:52:04 GMT

What about this bad boy placed on the TORINO scale yesterday? It is hundreds of times worse than Apophis and coming much sooner, 3-14-2012!!

http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php?
Cat=&Board=forces_nature&Number=668603
&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=

How to fight an asteroid

DesEmeryTheCarborundumChronicles,St.ThomasOnCanada — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 04:29:05 GMT

Alan -- Death By Asteroid might make a good movie -- and has in the not-distant past -- but unless you know something the rest of us are not privy to, then wouldn't you agree that Global Warming will get us first? That is, if Atomic War, or Chemical Fog, or Suicide Bombers, or Military Might, or the Religious Right, or the Loony Left, or The Creature From The Black Lagoon doesn't get us first.

How to fight an asteroid

Nathan Morrison, San Diego — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 06:01:26 GMT

Alan,

This is yet another reason why humans need to send humans into space as a permanent presence. The only way we are going to be able to actually deal with an Apophis, is to utilize a fleet of vessels distributed throughout the solar system to deal with potential threats as they occur. Until we have the infrastructure in place where we at the very least have four or five Solar System Class ships equiped with optical and/or sonic and/or explosive options capable of redirecting or destroying such a threat, we are sitting ducks.

What we really need is a mass launcher (for example a big electromagnetic railgun) that can fire things into orbit for the cost of electricity. America has plenty of mountains, the billions NASA spends on a single robot could be used instead to facilitate a permanent launch facility for manned and unmanned orbital delivery. And at the cost of electricity even. No rockets, no trajectory errors, and after a year or so of operation, virtually no expense.

Such a facility could also launch a manned (or robotic) intercept package, loaded with the equipment necessary to elliminate the danger.

How to fight an asteroid

Paul J.S. Beaubien Victoria B.C. Canada — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 08:50:44 GMT

Interesting article however there was no mention of the possibility that we just mightneed the extra weight to cause the planet to move in its orbit just a bit further outward from the sun so as to cool the overheating planet,myself I don't think there is enough weight out there in all the rubble

How to fight an asteroid

Jaminee Mohan Boruah, Jorhat, Assam — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 10:40:36 GMT

asteroid may kiss the Earth, still it can be deflected by its shape as well as the structure of the blue planet. The most intelligent creatures can create huge electromagnet to counter more worsening.

How to fight an asteroid

I Doe no — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 10:54:34 GMT

With enough CO2 in the atmosphere, moving the planet to the same orbit as mars would have not enough benefit to keep us cool, just as moving Venus to earh's orbit wouldn't have either... Plus after the 10 billion years it would take to make the move, i think the goose would be cooked! But as for the meteor, well how about a giant trampoline?

How to fight an asteroid

Guy Newell — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 12:59:47 GMT

Sooner or later, we're going to find a reason to spend billions of dollars to put people in space. If the "threat" of a killer asteroid doesn't do it, then maybe we can do like we did at the end of the Apollo program and show news clips of PhDs pumping gas in Florida.

I really wish you would all go back to writing bad escapist literature in the form of science fiction. At least then we'd get some entertainment value for the money.

How to fight an asteroid

Anonymous Coward — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 13:24:49 GMT

As the anti-self-defense lobby has been telling us for decades, the best way to deal with killer asteroids is to "put up no defense — give them what they want, or run."

Any attempt to defend Earth against an asteroid will just make the asteroid more angry.

How to fight an asteroid

Andy — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 14:48:54 GMT

Clark, all things being equal, the composition of the asteroid is more important than the size; attach a solar sail to an asteroid that is huge, but effectively a pile of rubble, won't accomplish much (presuming, of course, you could figure out how to attach it).

How to fight an asteroid

DWPittelli, Adams, MA — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 14:59:45 GMT

Prediction: If we discover something in the ~140 meter class (big enough to "devastate an area the size of, say, England or Northern California"), which will hit in less than 6 years, we will use a nuclear missile on it. (By "nuclear missile" I do not mean an existing ICBM design, but like them an unmanned rocket with one or more nuclear warheads -- like MIRVs, but launched one-at-a-time.) The other methods would take longer to design and build, and would also, because of their very gentle "push" effects, have earlier launch deadlines, and potential opponents on earth, potentially including the US, if the best push strategy has some risk of delaying any strike long enough to land in the Western hemisphere.

How to fight an asteroid

ajacksonian, Sterling, VA — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 16:01:14 GMT

If the proposed possible impact is a decade away the #1 simplest way to make an asteroid move is to have it gain more energy that it then has to radiate away. This is low power thrust. This is done through something known as a 'paint bomb' or 'soot bomb' to put light absorbing material on the surface of the asteroid. Do a little geometric analysis and look at tumble rates and adjust accordingly to get better direction of heat radiation. You don't need a high tech solution to do basic physics.

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 16:20:38 GMT

If a small space tug can slightly shift the orbit of a big asteroid, how do we know that Apophis won’t run into a smaller asteroid between now and 2036 that puts it right back on course?

I also wouldn’t discount the idea of nuclear weapons either. The nuclear blast would vaporize at least part of a comet and it would certainly have more force than a small tug. I also think we need to think about the supposed “shotgun” effect used to discount the use of nuclear weapons in such situations. Sure, it would break an asteroid up and many pieces might hit the earth anyway, but such pieces would be smaller and the far greater surface area among them would mean more would burn up in the atmosphere. It would spread out the impact on the ground much like a bullet loses energy when breaking apart inside a bulletproof vest. Smaller pieces are better than one big one!

My biggest worry is that an impact happen in the oceans as that would create a massive basin-wide tsunami. Many of the world’s major cities are very close to the coastlines and so are quite a number of nuclear reactors and nuclear powered naval ships. Such an ocean tsunami could cause global collapse even with just a 80-ft high wave basis wide. We need to look at how small of an asteroid could generate such a tidal wave.

If such an impact happened over land, there too we are not guaranteed we’d survive even if only an area the size of England were wiped out. Society needs to ask itself how vulnerable is it. How many major cities could it afford to lose without there being a major economic collapse? Five? Ten? If “JAPAN” were suddenly gone tomorrow, this could cripple the entire world’s economy. And many businesses rely on parts from thousands of supplies all over the world. Japan produces so many parts related to so many things that probably very few products could be built without having all the parts needed to complete them.

I also wonder instead of a static space station, how about we build a small, yet, highly functional inter-solar system space ship that can travel about, say, as far as the asteroid belt? It could look for NEOs, do research in orbit above Mars, and do intercepts if necessary! Nuclear rocket engines should cut the cost of lifting fuel.

How to fight an asteroid

Richard T., Charleston, SC — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 16:24:17 GMT

I knew about the space tractor, but I didn't know congress was actaully taking precautions. What a relief! I am much more optimistic about our ability to avoid a collision than I am about our realistic investment in colonizing the Moon and Mars. Just think if all the $ spent on Iraq was used to develop a mothod for long term Mars colonies, then evetually societies, we would be a 100 years ahead of the game. Not to mention the kind of self-sustaining, self-manufactored resources that would come out of such research that would no doubt revolutionize life on earth from the poorist to wealthies nations.

How to fight an asteroid

Alan Sheets, Loveland CO — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:00:12 GMT

How much would it cost to to build and launch a quicky probe out to Apophis, equipped with a beacon, a transponder, and a laser reflector? Aside from helping test and improve our deep space tracking technology and path prediction techniques, it could also be useful for special relativity tests, ham radio, etc...

How to fight an asteroid

Dave, Apex, North Carolina — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:02:11 GMT

Has anyone calulated the odds of an even smaller object simply colliding with that earth companion that we depend on for tides? What would be the effect of slowing the moons rotation or simply making it a little more elliptical? While the surfers might like that I suspect a moon collision could challange a 140 meter object for catostophic dominance.

How to fight an asteroid

RD, Tampa, Florida — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:23:45 GMT

Why not have an immediate point defense system in place? Go ahead and work on all the pie in the sky ideas of directing these bodies (no pun intended). But what if? What if these fail? We can put in place a system with current technology (nuclear devices) to significantly damage or destroy an incoming N.E.T.. Yes, the counterpoint has been, what about the pieces? But with the lack of any other system in place, which is better, a mile wide piece hitting, or couple pieces a tenth of a mile in size.... Something tells me a 10 meg device will get a mile wide piece of ice to crack. Or, keep doing nothing but debate. Or, debate, but do something now. For instance, until I can afford an alarm system for my home, and armed guards, I lock my doors and get a dog.

How to fight an asteroid

The Vei8led Prophet San Bernardino, Ca (USA) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:28:39 GMT

In a race between a deadly impact coming from somewhere else in the Universe and what humanity has already accomplished with our careless polluting of the Earth ... one has already been accomplished and in no possible way can humankind recover from the damage that has been done and continues. The time is not all that far away in a few short years that the end of the world as known today has been accomplished.

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:44:44 GMT

Nathan Morrison, Those ultra-efficient battaries Alan mentioned a while ago:

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/18086

Are also great for railguns because they can allow for a fast discharge and they are more cost effective. Got to like the Solar System-class ships too :) Perhaps one of these will do:

http://mateengreenway.com/anderson/homeward.jpg

How to fight an asteroid

J Walbaum — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:48:23 GMT

A solar sail, while technically feasible, would be extremely difficult to deploy. It would require landing a vehicle of some sort on the asteroid and getting it tethered, either robotically or by an astronaut. It also would need to be the size of football stadium.

The Cold War-era megaton-power nuke is the best idea since it would have the most powerful impact and would therefore allow the world to procrastinate the longest before deciding what to do about a dangerous NEO. It would be detonated above the surface of the asteroid in a "stand-off" explosion that would cause the surface layer of the asteroid to superheat and fly off. Basic physics of this action would cause the asteroid to move in the opposite direction as with a rocket motor.

I don't know whether a space tractor would work, but I seriously doubt trying to paint or coat an asteroid is even worth talking about given the NEOs that concern us are 1km in diameter and up.

How to fight an asteroid

Charles Ward, Lubbock, Texas. — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:58:34 GMT

1.) We need to be able to project the path of which a astroid will take long before it hits the Earth.

2.) Set up 10 or more nuclear 'space' mines which will denonate within a certain distance between the mine and the asteroid.

3.) Set up automated asteroid detection bases in space to give us plenty of warning.

4.) Once an asteroid is detected to be on a collision course with Earth, we can set up space mines alongside the projected path.

5.) Once the asteroid comes near enough these mines, they will detonate far enough so they won't tear apart the asteroid but it will nudge it enough so the next mine can do its job of moving it over a little more.

This plan will work and it's cost effective.

How to fight an asteroid

Gord MacDonald — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 19:29:08 GMT

The key to survival is a new kind of engine. If that cannot be found then sooner or later we will be wiped out. As it is now, our chemical engines can only get us to coast to the moon and maybe Mars in the future. As Stephen Hawking said, humans must populate other planets in order to survive. The key to that happening is a new type of space vehicle engine. So, get to work inventing.

How to fight an asteroid

Kevin Murphy, Los Angeles, CA — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 20:29:32 GMT

Good article, but will folks please stop using that incredibly stupid moon-strikes-earth graphic?

Not only is the object bigger than Ceres, the largest asteroid, but if an object of that apparent size (~2000km diameter) struck the earth at typical speeds (>10 km/sec), the result would be a new asteroid belt.

The 1000 km high splash would be the least of our problems.

How to fight an asteroid

C J Atlanta, Ga. — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 20:40:05 GMT

I'm sure every tekkie (or trekkie in most cases) can come up with a spectacular space plan to "combat" the killer asteroids...fact is, if we don't start paying a lot more attention to the problems we already have right in front of us i.e. overpopulation of the planet and the factors that come with it; we won't have a planet left to protect... The way things are progressing (no telling what we've already set into motion that we don't even know about), we could be done for already when your asteroid finally comes around. Just ask a frog (if you can find one)...the clues are coming at us from all directions, we're just not paying attention! WAKE UP AND FOCUS ON SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE IMPORTANT

How to fight an asteroid

Thomas Werkema, Grand Rapids, Michigan — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:21:30 GMT

How about we send a probe out to an asteroid with a large nuke attached and set it off. We could pick one that wouldn't send any fragments our direction. The probe with the nuke should have a companion along to make some observations. I suspect that this would not cost much more than your standard planetary probe and would have the potential bennefit of giving us data that could some day save our race. Besides, who of us hasn't wanted to blow something up just for fun?

How to fight an asteroid

Patrick McNulty, Oxford, Alabama. — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:53:56 GMT

Better link to possible new killer ateroid 2007 CA19.

Catalina sky survey has it 1.9Km or > 1.1 mile diameter. Thousands of times more devastaing than Apophis and coming closer and sooner!

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/

How to fight an asteroid

Alan Boyle — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:03:34 GMT

2007 CA19 is a big asteroid, but the JPL risk assessment puts the chances at 1 out of 714,000 rather than Apophis' 1 out of 45,000. And I have a feeling the risk will fade as more observations are made. The fact is there'll be a lot more of these alerts as time goes on.

How to fight an asteroid

Patrick McNulty, Oxford, Alabama. — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:19:46 GMT

2007 CA19 chances were 1 in 55,000,000 a few days ago. The chances have been going the wrong way for us ever since then and is the only one listed on the torino scale as of now! It could be higher next week on the torino scale or it could be off the torino scale all together.Catalina Sky survey has its diameter up to 1.9 KM or 1.1 miles while JPL has its diameter up to .9 KM that is a huge difference. I hope their speed calculations don't vary that much???

How to fight an asteroid

Patrick McNulty, Oxford, Alabama. — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:29:04 GMT

I did a calculation based on the Catalina Surveys largests size estimation. I plugged in the following values in the formula from University of Arizona! Size 1.9 KM, Speed 29.5 km/s Type Iron Meteorite Hitting crystalline rock.
Impact Effects 500 miles from ground zero!

Please note: the results below are estimates based on current (limited) understanding of the impact process and come with large uncertainties; they should be used with caution, particularly in the case of peculiar input parameters. All values are given to three significant figures but this does not reflect the precision of the estimate. For more information about the uncertainty associated with our calculations and a full discussion of this program, please refer to this article

Your Inputs:
Distance from Impact: 805.00 km = 499.90 miles
Projectile Diameter: 1900.00 m = 6232.00 ft = 1.18 miles
Projectile Density: 8000 kg/m3
Impact Velocity: 29.50 km/s = 18.32 miles/s
Impact Angle: 45 degrees
Target Density: 2750 kg/m3
Target Type: Crystalline Rock
Energy:
Energy before atmospheric entry: 1.25 x 1022 Joules = 2.99 x 106 MegaTons TNT
The average interval between impacts of this size somewhere on Earth during the last 4 billion years is 1.1 x 107years

Major Global Changes:
The Earth is not strongly disturbed by the impact and loses negligible mass.
The impact does not make a noticeable change in the Earth's rotation period or the tilt of its axis.
The impact does not shift the Earth's orbit noticeably.

Crater Dimensions:
What does this mean?

Transient Crater Diameter: 29.9 km = 18.5 miles
Transient Crater Depth: 10.6 km = 6.56 miles
Final Crater Diameter: 46.7 km = 29 miles
Final Crater Depth: 0.941 km = 0.585 miles
The crater formed is a complex crater.
The volume of the target melted or vaporized is 78.5 km3 = 18.8 miles3
Roughly half the melt remains in the crater , where its average thickness is 112 meters = 368 feet

Thermal Radiation:
The fireball is below the horizon. There is no direct thermal radiation.

Seismic Effects:
The major seismic shaking will arrive at approximately 161 seconds.
Richter Scale Magnitude: 8.9
Mercalli Scale Intensity at a distance of 805 km:

III. Felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Vibrations similar to the passing of a truck.

IV. Felt indoors by many, outdoors by few during the day. At night, some awakened. Dishes, windows, doors disturbed; walls make cracking sound. Sensation like heavy truck striking building. Standing motor cars rocked noticeably.

Ejecta:
The ejecta will arrive approximately 436 seconds after the impact.
Average Ejecta Thickness: 1.36 cm = 0.536 inches
Mean Fragment Diameter: 1.23 mm = 0.0484 inches

Air Blast:
The air blast will arrive at approximately 2440 seconds.
Peak Overpressure: 22100 Pa = 0.221 bars = 3.14 psi
Max wind velocity: 47.8 m/s = 107 mph
Sound Intensity: 87 dB (Loud as heavy traffic)

Damage Description:
Glass windows will shatter.
About 30 percent of trees blown down; remainder have some branches and leaves blown off.

Post Extras:
cyclonebuster
comet
02/17/07 04:48 PM
Re: Asteroid 2007 CA19 MAKES TORINO SCALE TODAY!! [re: cyclonebuster][link to this post] Edit Reply

If you were 500 miles from this pebbles impact site you still may not survive the almost immediate effects!!

How to fight an asteroid

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:20:08 GMT

Is there a site to access that describes what is required to find these things? I know there are a system of parameters that are required to chart a space rocks orbit. It would be interesting to find out how and what these observers do to assess them.

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:21:23 GMT

At $10,000 per pound, even if a rail gun could only launch 500lbs at a time, it still would be great savings. I onetime proposed having a small rail gun mounted in an SST type aircraft if getting such a rail gun to work at lower altitudes (with heavier atmosphere) is a problem.

Since electricity (from solar) is about the only form of energy available in space itself, we must try to find ways of maximizing electricity instead of trying to use chemical rockets at all steps. Like a step ladder, once a rail gun fires a payload into LEO, we should try to use a spinning tether platform to fling the payload to higher and higher orbits. We should then try to develop small outposts in geostationary orbit that can help combine and service all the expensive weather, communications, and GPS network as well as to be where our inter solar system-class ships docs and can more easily leave to the moon and NEOs. Once we get ourselves up into space, we should try to avoid the gravity wells of large bodies like the moon and earth. If we really could direct asteroids, I’d love to line a bunch of them up in an L2 orbit where they could be mined and a much more permanent space facility established there. Establishing an off-world presence on a large space city would be better than on the moon since such a space city can simulate perfect earth gravity and can much more easily side step an asteroid impact. The moon is immobile so any chance impacts on the moon (even if a 1000 miles away from our lunar base) could still destroy such a base due to the shockwave.

How to fight an asteroid

c f johnson, westwego, la — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:21:29 GMT

my question is why don't we;as earth, have a solar array of satellites that would be left in solar orbit near earth's orbit that would monitor space and give us continuous observations of conditions? that way we would have good information rather than guesses.

How to fight an asteroid

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:25:05 GMT

Ah! Talk about asking and answering my own question, here is a link:

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/info/Astrometry.html

How to fight an asteroid

Steve Tallut — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:10:57 GMT

Why worry about a killer asteroid, money from taxpayers needs to go toward studying global warming. Al Gore FEELS, not thinks, that the earth will be a burning ball of fire way be before an astroid impacts it.

How to fight an asteroid

Derry Greeson Republic Washington — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:39:54 GMT

I see lots of suggestions for destroying or deflecting a wayward asteroid, but what about trying to capture the thing? Why not adjust the orbit and kick it into orbit around the earth so we could examine and study it at our leisure?

How to fight an asteroid

DesEmeryTheCarborundumChronicles,St.Thomas,ON,Canada — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:56:25 GMT

Alan, I'm kinda surprised by the volume of replies here, but I'll betcha you're not. As usual, you really know how to pick them, and pique them, too.

I expect that NASA will already have somewhat of a 'plan' with a lot of alternatives outlined for any predicted scenario. Hopefully, they will not be so 'rulebound' that the various solutions offered here will be round-filed without any consideration. Myself, I rather like the idea from Nathan M. and Chris E. of the railgun somewhere on the equator blasting a missile skyward for a rendezvous with any asteroid foolish enough to venture too close to us, and using nanotechnologic batteries to set off an electric plasma vaporisation process within the asteroid to turn it into ball lightning and dissipate it into empty space.

Sorry, couldn't help myself, too much science fiction in my far-distant past.

How to fight an asteroid

Theo — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:18:01 GMT

After reading all the blogs ,I admit that I tend to agree with a few of them. I think painting an asteroid makes a lot of sense. Maybe Christo would be up to the challange & if it didn't work, the impact might be more colorfull...again a work of art!!

CJ has a good point. If we don't get our act together,there might not be anybody with the technical resources to deal with this threat. At the rate we're going, once we kill the oceans & global warming sets in there are going to be billions of people dying of starvation anyway. Along with that you have the countless wars for resources, food,water,just to name a few. If mankind is to survive we will have to learn to live with one another in a spirit of co-operation instead of destruction.

At this point I believe the best bet to deflect a NEO would be to impact it with nukes,not straight on,but a grazing side impact to not try to blow it up,but instead alter it's orbit.

How to fight an asteroid

Bob boberton, Terre Haute Indiana — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:47:18 GMT

I say we just try to deflect the asteroid into iraq, that way we save the cost of a war, an ungodly mess, and we don't have to spend the money on stopping the asteroid. although, i do like the idea of people in space. I was in space once, but that was because i was abducted by aliens. who, by the way, told me that there was an asteroid coming in 2016 which would catch everyone by suprise and i was suppossed to warn you all. There, my job is done. maybe it was 2061...

How to fight an asteroid

Barry Johns Denver CO — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:12:08 GMT

Well, we certainly have it coming. If it happens, I will find a good place to sit and watch it happen. Seems like a good way to go out.

How to fight an asteroid

Kyle Locke, Granville, NY — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 12:40:00 GMT

It surprises me no one mentions the opportunity these close approaches represent, both in pure research and in possible resource extraction. An NEO could provide materiels for orbital/lunar construction without the cost of lifting them out of the earth's gravity well. Einstein said "Within every problem lies an opportunity".

How to fight an asteroid

Tom Hill, DC Metro — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:03:37 GMT

2007 CA19 is likely to drop off the list soon, but it highlights the fact that new observations are constantly coming in. B612 asked NASA to consider a mission to put a transponder on Apophis, which NASA said they would consider if observations after a 2013 close approach still show a possibility of impact. I think the argument should be made that we build a transponder craft NOW so that it's ready for attachment to a new discovery that can't be quickly eliminated as a threat.

As to the global warming argument, there are many threats we face today. Some are better understood than others. Measured responses to all that we can have some impact on are necessary. Hyperbole on any one topic helps no one.

How to fight an asteroid

Jerry M. Weikle, Tampa, Florida — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:59:52 GMT

If we happened to have the technology and the resouces available to 'move' a 'mountain in the sky' then several options or plans should be developed. With a base on the Moon, for example, with high-energy lasers wouldn't that create a 'cosmic shooting gallery?" The asteroids could be utilized for terraforming, changing the orbit for a Venus impact--blasting some of the C02 atmosphere away, and providing minuscule amounts of water vapor.

However, asteroid impacts are important--from an evolutionary point of view--changing the flora and fauna on Earth. The majority of species, exist only for a brief moment in time, roughly about 2 million years for evolutionary changes to occur. Humans, for some reason, express 'as a species we will be here for billions of years'--even the dinosaurs only lasted for 'a brief moment in time'.

How to fight an asteroid

Jose Rivera, Apopka, Florida — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:17:22 GMT

If we cease (or at least minimize) the need to send humans into space to perform robotic jobs and use the money saved to truly explore the universe, we just might have a better chance of tracking, exploding, moving, or for that matter brainstorming a better plan to avoid an asteroid Katrina. It takes a lot of money to perform the feast of moving an asteroid or destroying it. By replacing the few humans we have in space conducting experiments that could be conducted by the same robotic arms and legs that are accredited here on earth for their cost effectiveness and reliability while performing quite complicated jobs in the car industry and else where, we would at least have the funds to undertake the asteroid moving/destroying business.

We all know the effects zero gravity has on humans, so no need to continue to waste time and money supporting humans in space. Instead we can use the needless millions of dollars it takes to keep humans alive on near earth orbits to really reach out into outer space in order to find scientifically valuable information such as asteroid, and the many other wonders space exploration has to offer.

As far as I can recall, most of the knowledge with have about the universe has been collected from man made devices placed either on earth or launched into space, not by humans orbiting around the planet. Until we have gravitational technology and the means to efficiently travel the solar system (all capable to be researched and developed here on Earth), there is no need to send humans into space. Humans on near earth orbits are nothing more than a waste of time and resources that can otherwise be use for other more important jobs. To say “we” climb Mt. Everest should be an individual goal not the goal of humankind. Let’s bring those boys and girls down to Earth and attach a Hubble Space Telescope or an Earth base telescope to their eyes to see if they are really about exploring the universe, or just trying to use tax money to climb Mt. Everest.

How to fight an asteroid

Truethfully — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:04:10 GMT

Oh please. We all know that when a highway is under construction, or being repaired, or added to, to accomodate future traffic needs, that constuction is already 15 years behind schedule and outdated. Do you honestly think someone is going to come up with a plan of defending the entire planet in the nick of time from an asteroid? Dream on you bunch of morons.

How to fight an asteroid

Wade Whitlock, Aberdeen, MD — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 22:37:44 GMT

The odds of any particular asteroid impacting are zero, until it does. The odds then become 100%. The problem is, all it takes is that one hit. Ask the dinosaurs if you don't believe me. Because we are the first species to be able to see the risk and the protect ourselves, if we fail to do so, we are, in fact, no smarter or more able than the dinosaurs.

And, we will have the same fate. Of course, we may do ourselves in, first.

In order to perform our duty to protect ourselves - thereby surviving - we will have to locate every potentially hazardous asteroid, tag it and determine it's make-up and structural integrity. Hitting it with an 800 pound copper slug does not count. We will, most probably, have to set boots on them.

There can be no single method of dealing with asteroids (we may need four different ones) and I doubt there will be any dealing with comets, especially the long period or new comets.

Just look at the current ability to kill a missile on a known trajectory at ballistic velocities! How well will we do with a comet sighted coming around the Sun at 70,000+ kph? Ya'll be careful, now! Hear?

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:01:09 GMT

"If we don't get our act together, there might not be anybody with the technical resources to deal with this threat."

This point was made and then quoted by two people above and is indeed a very good one! Society occasionally goes through periods or warfare, economic collapse, severe natural disasters, and bird flu pandemics. If we are fighting among ourselves or having to deal with a major disaster (made worse by our lack of preparations and carelessness of building in harm’s way), we may NOT be able to launch a rocket to prevent an impact. Launching rockets is not easy even for extremely advanced societies. Japan, Europe, Brazil, and even just recently Boeing have all had failures in the last several years (often made worse when the launch platform is destroyed as well). Thus, if a space sector has to go without funding for five or ten years due to other major problems, it gets very rusty very quick and may not be able to respond.

How to fight an asteroid

Ron Phelps, Hastings, Nebr. — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:22:52 GMT

I would prefer the establishment of asteroid mining ventures for colonizing space. Think of asteroids as material resources to further mankinds future.

How to fight an asteroid

Patrick McNulty Oxford Alabama — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:38:47 GMT

Such an asteroid would cause a nuclear winter and reverse global warming.

How to fight an asteroid

Rodney, Birmingham, ALABAMA — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:43:24 GMT

Believe me, NASA has several ideas of how to deal with this. And I'm sure they will not commit to just one. The only problem I see is getting ready in time. Money, money, money!!! It seems every time a probe is sent out all I hear is complaining about the cost.

As far as migrating to another planet or moon, I don't believe this will help our chances as we will still be in a shooting gallery. The best reason for moving outside would be to prolong the effects of our Sun as it becomes a giant and in-gulfs the Earth. And even that will only buy us some time. We have to think bigger in order to carry on our race. We have to be smarter. We need more info. We need another big step forward (Einstein being the last). I think the string theory may have some of these answers for us. We just have to figure it out.

If:
1 + 1 = 2
and
2 + 2 = 4
we have to find out why
1 + 2 = 5
I hope we figure it out.

How to fight an asteroid

Patrick McNulty Oxford Alabama — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:00:46 GMT

Here are a few neat links for you guys and gals to explore if you like!! There is one listed with a 1/556 chance hitting in about 60 years! http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/ip?1.8e-03 http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:03:07 GMT

On second thought, why try to bring the asteroid into an earth or lunar orbit when we can just mine it for what we need and drop off the ore when it comes close? A mile wide asteroid is like the size of a mountain. We’d have to carefully survey them until you find which ones has the right metals, silicon, and water ice (as fuel and oxygen) for what we need. Heck, we could even build our spinning cylindrical space city right there… where the asteroid is. The cylinder space city is just a take-off on the old wheel version just larger with a protected manufacturing core in the middle!

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:29:38 GMT

Asteroids are FAR better for mining than the moon because they have plenty of materials and yet next to no gravity to contend with. Some may even have enough water ice in their cores to support a permanent outpost! If we’re lucky, we might also find one with an orbit that swings us out towards Mars and the asteroid belt occasionally. That would assist with exploration!

How to fight an asteroid

Nora, Portland Oregon — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 03:10:48 GMT

I say let it hit. Killing off most if not all of the human population would be the best thing for the earth anyways. Than it could take a few million years to breath and renew itself after we have raped it so thoroughly. Good riddence mankind..here come the meteor!

How to fight an asteroid

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:29:18 GMT

Derry Greeson; One moon is enough thank you. Even it were possible, the relative small mass would require a distance from earth that is much beyond the moons orbit. This is because the nudging forces could be within what is possible. A small and very long term nudge could in theory be aligned with an earth capture. You can bet that if it were at least 50% gold, it may be a job for Goldfinger.

How to fight an asteroid

Generalist, Spokane WA — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:38:57 GMT

We really need to work on the problems on Earth AND the potential asteroid hits. Neglecting one because you feel the other is more important is foolish.

We also need a major human presence in something other than LEO (Low Earth Orbit) in the event that something goes 'splat' and does major damage to the planet. Whether that 'splat' is space based, or something that we create on Earth (Global warming, nuclear war, resource depletion, etc.), having people permanently outside of LEO is essential to our survival as a species.

Now some people may say that zero G poses a problem, but they seem to ignore some of the VERY early concepts of space stations and space ships. Put some spin on the proper shape and you have artificial gravity. You will have to play some interesting games to deal with the navigational and structural consequences, but that is an engineering problem, not a biological one.

Then there are those who seem to think that we shouldn't worry about it because we don't have the technology to DO anything about it. That type of brain dead statement ignores what humankind can do when things more important than relieving traffic jams are at stake. (Note that a lot of freeway projects are held back due to political reasons, not technical ones.)

Think of the Manhattan Project. Or the Apollo moon landings. Both are 'ancient' history as far as technology is concerned.

How to fight an asteroid

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 07:44:04 GMT

I have this basic belief based on the whole history of humanity that starts some 5 million years ago, that nothing has happened yet. The meteor crater in Arizona was a good sized nuclear test that happened 50,000 years ago. Haughton crater in the Canadian Arctic is 2 million years old and is some 20 kms in diamter. It was a big one that made it but nothing since.

I would wager that nothing of significant worry will happen for at least 50,000 years, but we should keep an eye out just the same only because WE CAN !

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:40:54 GMT

Apart from readily accessible materials, the debris from the asteroid can be used as a protective layer around the space city to protect it from radiation and small impacts! The city (maybe 1000 m in diameter) should be built with redundant parts for ease of manufacture and be expandable and multi-functional in design.

People often question funding for space exploration, but most seem believe in establishing an off-world colony “regardless of cost.” NEOs provide the most accessible and closest way to do that and the infrastructure can be used to defend earth itself even form a surprise impact! Getting Robert Zubrin and the Planetary society to focus on a more concise objective would be the key to making it happen. I’d recon that if you did a quick pole, most people would think a 500 million dollar science mission a waste but a 500 BILLION dollar colonization plan well worth it!

How to fight an asteroid

Pessimist — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:24:43 GMT

It's been said that "we are God's doodles... comets are God's erasers". I don't want to die anymore than the rest of us, but sometimes I wonder if our civilization is incompatible with a healthy planet. Maybe the force we call "Nature" needs an occasional large asteroid to clear out the playing field and give a new class of creatures a chance to dominate. Maybe the next intelligent species will do better than we did.

How to fight an asteroid

Bobby,Mckee ky — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:55:58 GMT

depending on the size of the object we might be able to nudge it out of the path of our orbit using a number of different means from nuclear weapons if it's a small one to a series of large rocket motors(the size of the ones used to lift earlier pace vehicles into orbit) .... and then there are the ones we might not be able to do any thing with at all (planet killers) it should be noted that the smaller ones are a greater threat because they are not as easily spotted and might be missed entirely untill they actualy do hit us , and as for the idea that an asteroid impact would be a "Katrina" like event well.............if you multiply it by about 100 you might get reasonably close though it would probably be much worse it would probably be like detonating every single nuclear wepon ever built on our planet all at the same time.

How to fight an asteroid

Homosassa,Fl. — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:21:50 GMT

Can anyone tell me standing on earth what if we could see it what way would we look to see where the big bang came from ?

How to fight an asteroid

Tom Hill, Metro DC — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:32:26 GMT

As of this morning 2007 CA19 has a Torino Scale rating of 0

How to fight an asteroid

G Van, Dallas, TX — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:26:04 GMT

Even if you could re-direct an object, what's the domino effect? What happens when that object now hits another object (that it originally wouldn't have hit), and that object hits another, and so on, and so on, and... When some other object totally unforeseen hits here or there but can't be stopped or even predicted because a key element (object) was modified. Do we really think we're that smart???

How to fight an asteroid

Gaetano Marano - Italy — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:42:53 GMT

.
.
.

I don't see any rational reason to think that, 65 million years after the dinosaurs' extinction due (very probable, but not 100% sure) to an asteroid collision, another big asteroid MUST hit our planet RIGHT NOW and not (e.g.) 30 million years away from now... however (and just for curiosity) I think that this problem has (at least) FOUR levels of difficulty:

1st level: too big asteroids we can't break or move without Star Trek tecnology... Solution: we must leave the planet as soon as possible!

2nd level: mid-sized asteroids we CAN break/move with future tecnologies... Solution: we must start NOW to develop them if we want to survive!

3rd level: mid-low-sized asteroids we can break/move with TO-DAY's technology assembling in space a sci-fi-movies-like vehicle with nuclear heads, etc... Solution: if we develop and build that "save-the earth" vehicle NOW we can send and assemble it in orbit with the Shuttles, but ONLY within 2010 (when the Shuttles will be retired and no new Shuttle built) since in the next 50+ years we will have ONLY small capsules in space (that can't assemble nothing in space)

4rd level: small asteroids we can break/move with one or more nuclear heads launched from earth with rockets... Solution: if we break the asteroids in thousands pieces we risk to "multiply" the problem, so (probably) the best way is to evacuate the area around the point of impact

however, we must be aware that "dimensions" is only part of the asteroids' problem since the main problem is: "TIME"

if we discover an asteroid that we CAN break/move with our current technology but we haven't the TIME to develop an launch a vehicle, we are DEAD (and "dead" of a "stupid death"...)

so, if you (really) think an asteroid may hit our planet soon... my suggestion is: DON'T RETIRE the Shuttles in 2010 (or, BEST, build soon bigger Shuttles) develop and build the anti-asteroids vehicle and technologies NOW and launch/assemble/test them IN SPACE as soon as possible!

-------------------------

and, about Spacecrafts...

yesterday, I've UPDATED my "underside-LAS" article with a further good idea: "use the Orion's Attitude Control Jets reversed as newLAS Attitude Control System":

http://www.gaetanomarano.it/articles/020newLAS.html

thanks to this idea (and a Carbon fibers Orion's Nose Cone) the total mass of my LAS may fall to only 2 mT (for a standard-Orion) or only 1.7 mT for a TBS-Orion saving 4 mT over the standard-Orion's tower-LAS

clearly, if NASA (really) needs to save 1 mT on the current design Orion's mass, they must adopt something like the "newLAS" since it's the simpler, better, faster, safer, cheaper and smarter way to reach the goal

.
.
.

How to fight an asteroid

JC, Riverton, CT — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:19:11 GMT

Every time you focus on killer asteroids and fail to self flagellate sufficiently over global warming, God kills a puppy.

Humans are currently armed with an array of technological means to deal with a variety of luciferian hammers, and to do so on an economically
modest basis.

Unlike volcanos, tornados and hurricanes, we can actually do something about speeding rocks in space.

I would way the Yellowstone supercaldera is the biggest thing we should be worried about. If that goes, all we can do is hope to ride it out somehow.

Maybe all those Y2K provisions will finally come in handy.

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:08:35 GMT

This was a NASA proposal that looked just like the Space:1999 TV series Eagle:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/
Summer_Training/CloverleafMS/06Pilot.gif

How to fight an asteroid

Keith, Dallas, TX — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:41:00 GMT

There are a lot of ideas being floated here regarding a permanently space-faring fleet, and easy ways to get us to that point. Most of them overlook two very big hurdles; money and technology. Take a look at the ISS. We've invested hundreds of billions of dollars in it over the better part of a decade. It isn't yet complete, AND the technology that's building it is decades old. If you want a fleet of intrasystem ships, they need a shipyard to repair, refuel and resupply them (and don't think for a second that the ISS could handle that job; for one, it's in far too low an orbit). The ships themselves need a propulsion source that's both powerful and fuel-efficent (we've got unmanned vehicles that use an ion drive, but we're talking about a far more massive ship here), a self-sufficient food source for the entire crew (forget "sleeper" ships; we're closer to designing a truly self-sufficient environment than reliable reversible human stasis), and the best possible protection for the crew against impacts and radiation. The Van Allen belts and the Earth itself protect spacecraft while in LEO, but that protection would be gone on a jaunt out to Mars. Just imagine trying to get the components of a lead-shielded crew module out into orbit, and then imagine the strain on the frame of the spacecraft and the extra kilos of mass that the engines have to propel. Then add the extra mass for the kinetic armor; an M1 Abrams tank, which has possibly the best armor plating known to man, weighs about 60 tons, about half of that the armor shell. That's for a vehicle that 3 or four guys squeeze into with little room to move around; you'd need to protect the entire crew compartment of a working long-haul ship. And you'd also have to reinforce windows, solar panels and greenhouse domes. We might be able to do it in 10 or 20 years, but we'd have to start now and pump massive amounts of funding, several times NASA's current yearly budget, into this one program to make it work. Try selling that to any Congress that's ever held office in the history of manned spaceflight. Private industry has only just recreated John Glenn's flight.

How to fight an asteroid

J.D. Rockville, Md — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:39:29 GMT

I must admit, I am no scientist, expert in asteroids or space technology as most of you seem to be but this planet is due for a cleansing, just as Nora said. Actually, according to some scientists, we are overdue for a catastrophic event to wash all of this 'pollution' away. Look at the various extinctions that have already taken place in this planets history. I remember reading that scientists approximate every 40 million years, life on earth is destroyed in one way or another (asteroids, super volcanic eruptions, catastrophic earthquakes, etc) and then regenerates itself. It has been 65 million years since the dinosaurs were blown away by a proposed asteroid event that I understand some experts say created the Gulf of Mexico. Look at it sometime from an aerial photograph-looks an awful lot like a crater. So, if this holds true we are definitely overdue by about 25 millioin years. This world is meant to be cleaned and recreated every so often and now is our time. Do I really believe it will be in this generation? Probably not, but who knows? All of the science and space technology looking to create futuristic space colonies and stations on other planets within a decade or two are just figments of our imagination. We are no closer to settling Mars than we are to moving a thousand ton asteroid (just a number thrown out for weight, not a real one) in outter space a few feet to avoid a collision with earth. It doesn't matter what NASA or any other space agency says, they do not have the answer. Life is just that, life and life has an end. I am by no means a 'end is near' kind of person. On the contrary, I love to live life but I am also a realist. We are mortal. Period. Reagrdless if it is HIV, Bird Flu, a new variant of the Bubonic Plague or an asteroid in space, we are mortal and this world will end. Forget trying to live forever. If we acomplish that then what is so special about living life? If you make a mistake, you have the rest of eternity to fix it or do it over. Where is the fun or adventure of doing something that you may never do again because of our mortality if you live forever, or at least a lot longer than we do now? If you live forever, where would our morals go? Probably down the drain because it wouldn't matter, not that the morals of many in the world are much above ground level now. Anyway, why would we care? I've got an eternity to do it 100 times correctly. Who cares about all of the people I may hurt because of my mistakes? Sounds like a expressway to anarchy personally. So, I know that this is probably the most boring and skipped over response in this string but if just one person reads it and understands where I'm coming from then I got my point across. If the earth is to die by asteroid collision then so be it. Maybe if there is a life after death, the next world won't have so much dirt and hate in it. Sounds pretty good to me. Just my 2 cents.

How to fight an asteroid

J.D. Rockville, Md — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:54:56 GMT

Amen, Keith. Amen.

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Eldridge — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:22:00 GMT

The first sentence in J.D.'s post reminded me of a Planetary Society report that did say such impacts seem to happen every 65 million years or so which correlates to the solar system going up and down through the plain of the galaxy where things are more hectic.

How to fight an asteroid

BC, Oakville ON — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:34:50 GMT

Hate 2B a party pooper but The catastrophe is already here and its name is humanity. The greater threat to our collective existence is a result of our own activities and not that of an improbable inbound piece of space rock in a generation or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5. If, collectively we can't agree on how much its worth to deal with our CO2 emissions now then all I can say is maybe, someday Apophis will be doing us all a big favour. I suggest a reality check

How to fight an asteroid

J. Hobart, Spokane, WA — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 05:35:37 GMT

The advantage of Rusty Schweickart’s “gravitational tractor” approach is that it works equally well for tumbling or loosely aggregated objects. Unfortunately, it also has some serious drawbacks. In order for the tractor to maintain a fixed standoff distance from the object, it would require thrusters to counteract the force of gravity acting on it. But what happens to the exhaust from those thrusters? Any exhaust that strikes the asteroid will have a net zero effect on the tractor-asteroid system; the momentum it imparts to the asteroid will exactly cancel the momentum it imparted to the tractor! Imagine mounting a rocket on the inside of a closed container. Is that container going anywhere? Don’t bet your life on it.

The only way to avoid this problem is to employ multiple, staggered vectors of thrust that all miss the object. But for that to work, the standoff distance must be of the same order as the radius of the asteroid. That’s too bad, because the gravitational attraction between tractor and object falls off as the square of the distance separating their centers.

There’s another problem, too: for such a minuscule force to successfully prevent a collision with our planet, it must be continuously applied for months or years in advance. But if we don’t get that much advance warning to play with (as with a rapidly infalling comet), and all our efforts have been focused on subtle “hands-off” approaches, we’ll find ourselves in a world of doo-doo.

A “kinetic pusher” based on existing propulsion technologies would impart orders of magnitude more momentum to an incoming object than a gravitational tractor ever could. The problem of loose aggregation could be solved by a mounting platform with a suitably wide surface area. The problem of tumbling could likely be overcome by a combination of movable thrusters and a mechanism to “hop” or jump to other parts of the object surface. Somewhat beyond our current means, you say? Then perhaps now is a good time to start working on it.

We should also begin thinking about more exotic approaches. My favorite involves firing beams of antimatter plasma at the object from outside the Earth’s atmosphere. A gram of antimatter would transfer more energy to an incoming object than our biggest nuclear warheads – and it could be evenly dispersed over a large part of the object’s surface. Since the particles in such a beam can be accelerated to relativistic velocities, it would have a vastly greater kill range than payloads mounted on chemical rockets, and would arrive at its target in minutes rather than months or years. If four firing stations were set up on the periphery of the far side of the Moon, just out of view of Earth, they could provide complete coverage of the heavens with one or possibly even two of them offline – without posing any risk of striking our world.

How to fight an asteroid

Doug Fingles — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:46:43 GMT

One problem with nuking an asteroid that comes up is the resultant explosion would simply spread the impact over a larger area. True, more of the asteroid would be exposed to the atmosphere, but enough would still strike the surface to cause severe damage, possibly greater than leaving the asteroid intact.

However, I believe we are missing two important aspects of using nukes--first, we HAVE them, unlike particle beam weapons, "tractors", paint bombs, solar sails, etc. Second, we have a LOT of them, and we know exactly how they function, reliability, energy released, etc.

The object is to get the asteroid (or its debris) to miss the Earth, right? If you use a sufficient number of nukes in a layered, coordinated attack to break up or push asteroid material away, you can create a "cone" of an area where no, or minimal, debris will be located. The trick is to coordinate the nukes, layer them, and time it to coincide with the Earth's projected path.

We have thousands of nukes, plenty of weapons-grade material to make more, and proven technology to build and launch them. All we need is some serious super-computer time to build a coordinated/layered attack plan, and to throw a couple into space to validate models of nuclear blasts in a zero-g/vacuum environment.

So, if you're looking for short term solutions for avoiding asteroid impacts, we have one available right now. If we have the luxury of time, we can then consider the more exotic solutions.

BONUS FEATURE: Assuming the asteroid debris remains on approximately the same orbital path, we should get some spectacular meteor showers at future rendezvous points. And by then, the debris field should be wide enough to pick off the dangerous bits fairly easily.

How to fight an asteroid

William C DeMuth — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:07:38 GMT

The only moral thing we could do would be to blow the Earth to pieces to permit the asteroid free passage.

How to fight an asteroid

DesEmery,TheCarborundumChronicles,St.Thomas,ON,Canada — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:34:31 GMT

J. Hobart of Spokane makes simple-sounding solutions to the asteroid problem sound complicated. I presumed the rocket would automatically match direction and velocity and then slowly begin to move in a new direction with the asteroid linked to it by mutual gravity; even a small directional change initiated when the asteroid is still far enough away from earth would put it on a non-collision course.

I like his anti-matter beams focussed on the errant asteroid, but I'm reminded of the old story of the scientist who invented the perfect solvent (similar to anti-matter) and then watched it melt its way out of the test tube and fall to the counter and melt that and fall to the basement, then melt the cement and begin its journey to the centre of the Earth. How would the anti-matter beam be contained by normal matter, even beyond the moon?

Chris E. shows his colours as an eco-scientist as his is the only solution which retrieves the various parts of the asteroid for use back here. The rest of us apparently just want to blast the intruder right out of our skies. Good movie. Bad science.

How to fight an asteroid

J. Hobart, Spokane, WA — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:34:59 GMT

Alan,

The fourth paragraph of my post (about the “kinetic pusher”) misses the mark, so please feel free to strike it. Such a device would deliver a very low return on investment! The lion's share of fuel would get burned up sending it there; another sizeable portion would get spent slowing it down for touchdown (since aerobraking is impossible). Only a very small fraction of the fuel would remain available to propel the object out of its collision trajectory. A simple “side impactor” would be far more efficient, since nearly all of the device’s fuel generates momentum that can be directly imparted to the asteroid. And that momentum gets transmitted in a single impulse when the object is farthest from Earth – thereby producing the greatest possible deflection.

We could get “the best bang for today’s buck” with a single thermonuclear warhead that detonates on impact. That could very well fragment the object, but a side impact accomplishes the mission by giving all the pieces a very powerful lateral push. It would still be prudent to have backup devices on route to catch any bits that the first one misses.

How to fight an asteroid

Ronald Groninger, Fargo, ND — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:55:27 GMT

How has it escaped the attention of all these respondents that a significant number of asteroid close calls were not even realized until the asteroids were past us, as they came from the sun's direction and could not be observed through the sun's glare? Given this fact it seems delusive to assume we could mitigate an asteroid impact threat. How do we even know that space rocks are all trackable? Have we considered that a tiny deep space gravittional nudge by a planet or other unknown asteroid could deflect an asteroid of a supposedly known path right into the path of the earth? Friends, when our time comes, it comes, and there probably won't be anything our presuppositions or preparations can do about it.

How to fight an asteroid

J. Hobart — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 04:49:23 GMT

DesEmery (of CarborundumChronicles) wrote:

"I presumed the rocket would automatically match direction and velocity and then slowly begin to move in a new direction with the asteroid linked to it by mutual gravity..."

--

My point with the “gravitational tractor” is that you can’t do that with the rocket and asteroid close together, because (1) the gravitational attraction between rocket and asteroid pulls the rocket back as hard as it pulls the asteroid forward, and (2) the exhaust that strikes the asteroid pushes the asteroid back as much as it pushes the rocket forward. All that this exhaust accomplishes is to produce a mutual “repulsion” that counterbalances the mutual attraction of gravity. There is no net change in the system, because the exhaust does not carry momentum out of it. To reproduce this experimentally, you don’t even have to put the rocket into a closed container; just attach it by a stick to a flat launch platform. That platform won’t get lifted up, no matter how light it is – even if it isn’t bolted to the ground.

"I'm reminded of the old story of the scientist who invented the perfect solvent (similar to anti-matter)..."

--

That’s a very prudent concern, because if the antimatter gets loose it doesn’t just melt through the container… it blows up your backyard, along with most of your county. Yet another good reason to put this on the moon!

Fortunately, antimatter can be magnetically contained so long as it is separated into charged particles. That is already being done now at various particle accelerators around the world – albeit on a much smaller scale. We have also gained experience firing plasma out in beams; in point of fact, that is what happens in “ion drive” and “plasma drive” engines. The charges remain separated until they have been ejected from the device, which is exactly what we want in this application, as well.

How to fight an asteroid

Des Emery, The Carborundum Chronicles, St.Thomas,ONCanada — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 05:32:21 GMT

J. Hobart, I'm still not clear on your application of the charges being separated until ejection for your antimatter cannon. My understanding of antimatter would have the two streams of matter and antimatter annihilate each other at that point, so there would be no beam? Am I reading you wrong?

I can see the rocket approaching the asteroid, but not landing on it. Their mutual gravity would be focused on a point between them, and the rocket's low thrust then would slowly put a new trajectory on both it and the asteroid. If the rocket had a pushing blade attached to its nose, pulled up behind the asteroid by matching velocity and direction, and then increased its speed, would it not make the asteroid cross Earth''s orbit long before the planet arrived at the collision point?

How to fight an asteroid

JC, Fairbanks, AK — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 03:54:03 GMT

-I predict any asteroid known to be in an Earth-impact orbit will get plastered with solar sails by SEVERAL nations….each one designed to divert it into impact with an enemy or rival.

-PM: Transient crater = initial cavity at maximum extent.
Final crater = crater after everything stops moving (slumping, rebounding, etc….)

-I’m with Barry J.; set up a recliner and watch the show!

-Can’t agree with Wade W., ALL of the exploration of things beyond the Moon has been done by remote probes, none by people. People would be nothing but an expensive handicap….landing-pads on the ground? Yes. Boots? No.

-If you think ‘nudging’ an asteroid (changing it’s velocity by a few cm/sec), consider how enormously harder deliberately braking one into Earth orbit (changing v by tens of km/sec!) would be! Even mining just the stuff you want doesn’t help all that much, since you STILL have much the same problem. I don’t foresee space being a viable source of materials for EARTH for quite a while….

“500 million dollar science mission a waste but a 500 BILLION dollar colonization plan well worth it” -- Actually every poll I’ve seen shows the opposite to be true. The perception in the US (in my opinion correct, at least for now) is that it is the manned program that is expensive and fruitless, and the unmanned one that is cost-effective and productive.

To Homosassa, Fl. : “what way would we look to see where the big bang came from ?” The answer, if unsatisfying, is “everywhere”.

To G Van: In case of solar system collisions each ‘domino’ takes thousands or millions of years to ‘fall’…..

“report that did say such impacts seem to happen every 65 million years or so which correlates to the solar system going up and down through the plain of the galaxy where things are more hectic” -- This theory is supported by almost no evidence though…

To Ronald G.: It is true that we may never locate every single potential NEO out there, but this is no reason not to even prepare. We ARE going to discover most of them . . . it is quite true that orbits are constantly changing (consider Comet Shoemaker-Levy-9), but this is why continued tracking and prediction of all these objects is important.

How to fight an asteroid

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 04:26:40 GMT

Big correction here about Haughton crater in the Canadian arctic. It's 39 million years old, not 2.

Here is a site for all earth impacts. Look at how old the impacts are in North America alone. I did overlook the Siberian event in the early 20th century too. That one is still a mystery as to t it was that exploded. A cometary mass seems to explain it.

http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/NorthAmerica.html

How to fight an asteroid

J. Hobart — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:29:37 GMT

Des,

The two beams that are being manipulated by the cannon *both* consist of antimatter; though they are oppositely charged, they combine to produce an electrically neutral antimatter plasma in which nothing gets annihilated. One of the beams would consist of antiprotons, while the other would consist of positrons (i.e., antielectrons).

I agree completely that a rocket equipped with a “pushing blade” would work; that is the basic idea behind the “kinetic pusher” approach. A “kinetic pusher” differs from a “gravitational tractor” both in its orientation and in the way that it applies force to the object. Whereas a gravitational tractor sits in front of the asteroid, potentially bombarding it with the backblast of its exhaust, a kinetic pusher avoids this problem by sitting behind it. Whereas a gravitational tractor seeks to pull an asteroid via the miniscule gravitational attraction between them, a kinetic pusher simply pushes on the asteroid for all its engines are worth.

The problem with a tractor isn’t getting it in front of an asteroid; that can certainly be accomplished with minimal backblast. The problem is keeping it there; unless it fires its thrusters toward the object, it will simply fall onto it – at which point the effects of its attraction will have been completely negated.

I still think a side impactor is more efficient, because you don’t have to waste any fuel slowing it down to park it at its destination. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about the composition or tumbling motions of the target; both of those problems pose serious challenges to any pusher or (solar sail) tug.

How to fight an asteroid

Des Emery,The Carborundum Chronicles,St.Thomas,ON,Canada — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 05:10:14 GMT

J. Hobart - many thanks for your explanation. I can see now that such a cannon would combine the two streams into one neutral beam, but I'm left wondering how the combined beam would work on the asteroid -- would it just shove the asteroid aside by striking it? Or would the impact separate the beams, allowing them to cancel out the target? And how would the cannon's repercussion affect the moon? Or would it? I do like the straightforward way your explanation works, and the fact that we are experimenting with the mechanics can be rather comforting.

How to fight an asteroid

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:37:04 GMT

Anti-matter canons?? How much further out to lunch can you get?

How to fight an asteroid

J. Hobart — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 05:22:20 GMT

Des,

Even though the beam particles are traveling at relativistic speeds, the effect of their momentum on the asteroid would be negligible -- and, on the Moon, too small even to measure. The cannon would fire only a very tiny amount of antimatter, which is arguably the most expensive substance in the world to produce.

But when the antimatter particles reach their target, they do a lot more than transfer their momentum: they annihilate an equivalent mass of matter on the incoming object, releasing a vast amount of energy. The effect would be like a sustained nuclear blast, spread out over a large area of the object’s surface. An instrument of such power could easily deflect asteroids away from a collision course, and possibly even put them into useful orbits.

As concepts go, the antimatter cannon is undeniably far out – much farther than I would ever venture for lunch, in fact! To bring a planetary defense capability online as soon as possible, it would be better to focus first on strategies achievable in the near term – perhaps a thermonuclear side impactor, or a laser cannon that fires beams or high-intensity pulses. While there might not be enough time to deploy an impactor device against fast-moving comets, a laser cannon would be particularly effective against them – making it very well-suited as a complementary strategy. The antimatter cannon would be safer in the long term, because it could handle larger bodies on shorter notice and with immediately verifiable effect. I would certainly expect such a device to be achievable sometime within the next hundred years; and, given the long range and low frequency of the impact threat, it would almost certainly be ready before it was needed.

How to fight an asteroid

J. Hobart — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 06:06:36 GMT

My earlier critique of the “gravitational tug” was based on a flawed understanding of the basic concept:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20070213/
tc_usatoday/nearearthasteroidscouldbesteppingstonestomars

Apparently the tug would first insert itself into orbit around the target. At the point in its orbit where it is traveling in the desired direction, it would fire its thrusters again to increase its velocity. That would give it a highly eccentric orbit – nothing useful in itself – but it would also give the combined tug-asteroid system a push in the same direction. The velocity it would thus impart to the asteroid would equal the increase in its own velocity multiplied by its own fraction of the total mass.

In order to achieve maximum deflection, the tug would not blast itself out of the asteroid’s orbit; instead, it would blast itself out to a new orbit whose period would approximate the asteroid’s time to impact. The “deflection burn” that accomplished this would likely last only a few seconds!

That approach very neatly avoids the “backblast problem” I described earlier; so, yes, it *could* work. Nevertheless, I maintain that it would be considerably less effective than a kinetic impactor having the same launch mass. Such an impactor could impart far more momentum to the object, even if it did not have an explosive payload. The risk posed by scattered fragments could be eliminated either by using a nonexplosive payload, or by striking the object from the side.

How to fight an asteroid

John Doe, Massac County, IL — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 06:58:28 GMT

My feeling are mixed...

If we Do get hit, it will inevitably end humanity.
The dinosaurs repeated..

If We Dont Get Hit, We Will Have Avoided Destruction, but for how long?

I wont get into religion, but i believe the world will end differently

How to fight an asteroid

Vic Stathopoulos — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 02:34:13 GMT

I believe NASA should intially use either the Atlas V or Delta 4 to send spacecraft to monitor and study near earth asteriods. We also need to send the spacecraft to gather information and to send the info to NASA they can be constantly alert of what is happening with asteriod orbits. Once our knowledge increases with reconaisance missions then we can look and test methods to fight of the asteriods aka defeat them from hitting earth.

I believe NASA should use their future moon rocket Ares-V as a vehicle to send a flotilla of spacecraft in order to solve or at least break potential asteriods from hitting our earth. I read years ago a Russian military spacecraft called Navigator was being built and it would have used ion engines to slowly survey near earth objects. I do know of its progress, but it would be nice if NASA set a permanent program in motion in order to fight the asteriod threat.

How to fight an asteroid

david bean,chattaqnooga,tennessee,37421 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 07:33:41 GMT

if a asteroid hits earth,the last thing is to look in a mirror and kiss yourself goodby..i would like to know what thing would happen to earth if a astroid hit it

How to fight an asteroid

Heather C, Vancouver, BC, Canada — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:06:23 GMT

After reading all these articles and all the responses on trying to defend ourselves and our Planet Earth from the dangers of destruction by an astronoid, I find it amusing in a way that so many citizens of Planet Earth seem so much more concerned about a 'possible' event in the distant future when there may not be a Planet Earth to actually defend. What is of most concern is that some of you seem quite thrilled about spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build adequate transportation in order to abandon this planet, rather than spend that kind of money to clean up the mess that this current generation has created and is likely to cause the more immediate destruction of the planet from the imminent threat from global warming. 'Hello', is no one listening to what Al Gore and countless other environmental scientists are preaching to us. Do you all think we will live long enough to worry about the threats of an astronoid? EVERYONE on Planet Earth needs to heed the call to do their part in trying to avoid the enslaught that we are facing from the continual disrespect for our environment and abuse of nature and it's many wonders. I love this planet and all that it offers me and I am doing my utmost to change my environmental foot print to help save this beautiful planet and its trees, animals, oceans, oxygen levels, etc. and even my fellow human beings. I do not take life here on Earth for granted like many seem to do...life is a gift and I think it is disgusting that more money is not being spent on how to fix the global warming problem that we are facing. We have so many great minds that could be concentrating on the immediate effects of the 'monster' pollution we have already created here on Earth rather than them concentrating on an event in the far distant future that may never happen. What is important is NOW and the role every citizen on this planet needs to uphold and do their individual 'bit' to help save this wonderful
planet and all it's beauty, which we have been given to respect and to enjoy, not to abuse and destroy through ignorance and total learned disrepect for all future generations.

How to fight an asteroid

Marty, Carson City, NV — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:26:57 GMT

Ron, I agree, mine the suckers! That way they will pay for themselves.

How to fight an asteroid

Armageddon Teen — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:09:20 GMT

I'm only 14 but i have a say in the planets future too. I find it interesting that we come up with great ideas but when it comes right down to it we will eventually kill oursleves. An asteroid is not an imediate threat we have more threats in our everyday lives. If we are going to waste time on something that will doubtfully happen anytime soon then there is something you can do... An asteroid being blown up by a ICBM or any type of nuclear weapon wouldnt work because if its headed straight for us then the bits and chunks will kill us too. Lets use Apophis as an example, Apophis is almost guranteed to pass us at least once therefore why not send something a couple weeks or months in advance and blow it up after it passes. Let the missile get a head start and hit it a couple million miles a way so the debris can't stay in the same orbit. Well, that's one potential way but a more immediate one would be to send 3 to 4 ICBM's or a new designed nuclear weapon adn hit it straight on the first nuke would hit it and hopefully blow it up and the second would come just after but it would either finish the asteroid or break it some more hopefully by the 3rd missile the asteroid would just be about 3/4 to half its original mass in debris form. Then missile 3 and 4 could do the clean up by blowing up in the center or right before the debris and send them hurling in a different direction. If you have any speculation or reason for why these wouldn't work I'd love to know what could be changed this is just something I've been interested in since I was like 8 and I never understood why these ideas wouldn't work.

How to fight an asteroid

Chris Mansker, Des Moines, IA — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 06:11:16 GMT

I think it was best put in the song "In The Year 2525" in 1969, "Now it's been 10,000 years, Man has cried a billion tears, For what, he never knew. Now man's reign is through. But through eternal night, The twinkling of starlight. So very far away, Maybe it's only yesterday." Funny how they never mentioned anything about asteroids hitting the Earth in any of those verses. If the global warming doesn't kill us, if the nuclear wars don't kill us, and if an asteroid doesn't slam into the Earth and kill us, surely one day the Sun will kill us when it one day uses up all of its hydrogen and swells up past the orbit of Mars. Honestly, I enjoy reading about what scientists have found in space, but I don't waste much time worrying about what the world's ultimate demise will be. When that day comes there will be nothing humans can do to stop it.

How to fight an asteroid

J.Kaufman — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:39:51 GMT

What? Are you surprised? This is the same thing that knocked off the Dinosaurs, and other species in the past. Millions of years have passed and our time is up.

We have the technology, we can divert a well announced meteorite, but I say test the sails on it a few months before hand, then a tow, and if all else fails...blow it sky high with a nuclear bomb.

I'm building a bomb shelter no matter what...I have trust in our abilities, just not in our abilities to carry out our abilities. We as a species will most likely survive, intelligence, and our nature predicts this, its just when, who, and how?

How to fight an asteroid

john , col's. ohio. — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:31:49 GMT

we'll move in with the aliens on the moon.

How to fight an asteroid

thespeedyone, Lakewood, CO — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:07:06 GMT

Last month, in Popular Science, I read that NASA is planning to visit the asteroids. Their plan is to use an asteroid of sufficient mass to alter or destroy a killer asteroid before it reaches earth. Do so at a safe distance from earth and there would be no threat. So, the job would then become locating the killer asteroid in time to put the plan into action.
Two months ago, I sent one email each to two organizations suggesting the above solution with no response from either. In my plan, we would have an established space base on the moon to store our arsenal of asteroids and launch our “rescue” missions. Mars would also serve as an excellent base from which to scan space for potential killers. From Mars, we could also execute missions to build our arsenal and save the rest of us.
A few weeks later, I read about NASA’s plan. The article did not go into detail, but it is fair to assume NASA has it all worked out. From NASA and other halls of knowledge, I am anxious to hear more.

How to fight an asteroid

Paul, New Jersey — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:44:38 GMT

Some of these blogs are worrisome. It is hard to tell who is a science fiction techno-nerd and who is legitimate. I hope that the people who ultimately make the right decision are not Trekkies re-enacting a lost episode. I like the idea of sitting on a hillside in my favorite lawn chair, beer in hand and wife alongside, and watching the cataclysm unfold.

How to fight an asteroid

Roice Gracie Brazil (Favela) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:51:51 GMT

You clowns need to get with the program, Astroids are fake! I mean why whould god create somthing to destroy us?

How to fight an asteroid

T. HARRELL BEAUMONT TEXAS — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:12:40 GMT

THERE ARE MANY WAYS WE NEED TO EXPLORE TO DEFLECT ASTEROIDS, INCLUDING NUCLEAR. BUT THE SOLAR WIND SAIL AND THE ASTEROID TRACTOR MUST BE BE BRAINCHILDS OF SOMEONE ON SOME NEW "DRUGS". THOSE ARE SO FAR OUT IN LEFT FIELD. I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER BUT I FEEL SURE THOSE TWO GUYS DON'T EITHER...SOMEONE ALSO NEEDS TO APPROACH THE PROBLEM OF IF WE DO MOVE THE ASTEROID WITH DESTROYING IT, WHAT ORBIT WILL IT THEN ASSUME? I SEE NOTHING ON EARTH WITH THE POWER TO DEFLECT EVEN A MODERATE SIZED ASTEROID GOING 20OO PLUS FT/SEC EXCEPT POSSIBLE A ATOM BOMB..BUT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE TRIED AT LEAST ONCE. LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO MARS JAN 30....

How to fight an asteroid

Jimmy Sella, 505, NM — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:21:19 GMT

Havent you people heard the good news? Jesus will return for HIS people before the effects of global warming or asteroids take place!! All you have to do is atone and there is nothing to worry about. You can drive HUMMERS, use toilet paper, cut down trees, invest in Coal Fire power plants. Its great not having to worry the future of this (doomed anyway) world!! Why go through life worried about everything? Liberals are so pathetic they have to compare every dire situation to global warming. Get a job people, quit worrying and repent! I would hate to go through life wondering if there is any meaning as so many of you do. If there really is no meaning, then I've helped many people and nothing to lose!

How to fight an asteroid

a pa garcia — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 05:15:49 GMT

Kinda makes Al Gore's statement of "Global Warming is the biggest threat to mankind academic". If an astroid is heading towards Earth, I hope the US won't relay on the UN to make decisions concerning the US. If an astroid is heading toward Earth, I wouldn't be surprised if the UN takes a political approach like the "Oil for food" program.

How to fight an asteroid

Bob, Winchester, Kentucky — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 12:32:02 GMT

Personally, I think that having an asteroid hit the earth and wiping out humanity is probably a good idea. We've screwed up the planet enough, and we're merrily tooling down the road of using more and more inventive ways of killing each other for very stupid reasons. I want an asteroid strike to happen and I want to be around to experience it. I think it'd be fun and entertaining.

How to fight an asteroid

Jeff — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:39:19 GMT

We have at least two valuable robotic residents on Mars. Their lives may be negatively impacted by an asteroid. Hasn't anyone in the U. S. or U. N. governments considered using this real threat as an opportunity to test our response system?

Quite frankly, I would prefer to see the opposite scenario as far as Mars is concerned. Put up the space tractor and improve the odds of hitting Mars for two reasons. First, more practice - more than one adjustment might be needed. Second, increased mass - Mars will get bigger every time we're able to direct an asteroid to land on Mars.

Eventually, we will get to the point of understanding we humans need a second planet for a number of reasons. While mining the Kuiper belt will likely be needed, it seems like we should take opportunities presented (such as the asteroid heading in Mars direction) to build that bigger Mars.

Perhaps the U. N. needs to consider the value of Mars? What if Earth-based companies took it upon themselves to build a bigger Mars? How can accounting occur such that value is built and maintained over time?

How to fight an asteroid

Trebis Yendor, Ellivssurt, Amabala — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:31:31 GMT

I strongly disagree with the idea of deflecting. You have to disintegrate.
If you just deflect, then it is possible, it could be deflected out of your solar system into ours, and put on a collision course with us here on #%^*&@ (don't know the English translation).
I can assure you that we would never, in a kadagezillion eons, even think of doing that to you guys (or even the "sentarieans" and we can't stand them).
I am not allowed to share with you the formula that we use here, but I can tell you, you have the necessary elements you need.

Here is the design:

@$&#$(><":@!$&^_@$^*()_!@#$_^!(@$%^"?>:{?
>!@#$!*@$^(@
!$*$#%&"@%>"@}{%>&@#%?&!@{#%&*@*#)_&@(#%&

I will send you guys the primmer tomorrow.

I love the internet!!!!!
(;>)

How to fight an asteroid

Neoma Johnson, Kersey, Colorado — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:59:31 GMT

are we even able to do such a big thing? As in redirecting something that could possible kill everything and every one on earth, do you really think we can push it back into space and away from use. and on top of that it would take over millions of dollors to do this. What if it doesn't work. i have been looking at this and i really want to know if such a thing was possible.

How to fight an asteroid

OneVoice, Frederick, MD — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:10:53 GMT

Some of these bloggers are talking around a real double threat. Deflect an impact now only to deal with it again and again later. Assuming an asteroid is within size limits, the best thing to do is to attach one or more Ion propulsion units onto its surface and nudge it into earth orbit. Once we begin capturing them, we can study their makeup better and potentially harvest raw materials for use in-orbit or as a platform for a new and expanded space station. NASA and the other space-faring countries should work together on practical plan to develop and test asteroid capture technologies not asteroid deflection technologies. We should do it now so that we will be prepared when a real threat materializes. This technology can also be used to deflect objects that are larger than the upper size limit for capture because a captured asteroid can then be sent on an intercept mission to deflect an object even larger. The energy released by this sort of impact is far greater than anything we can do with Earth launched impactors, lasers or even extra cold-war nuclear arms.

How to fight an asteroid

arctomy,fremont Ca. — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:15:43 GMT

i would just want to ask if where exactly this asteroid will hit?does this mean that half of the globe will dissapear?is there a possibilty that it will not hit us?how?im so scared...please someone answer my queastions...

How to fight an asteroid

Gary — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:20 GMT

Why dont we just land on it and when it makes its next fly by in 2029. We can leave rocket boosters on it along with transponders. We will be able to monitor it and gradually adjust its trajectory over several years. Hopefully the transponders will keep us aware of its movements and path. If we drop some nukes also, we can try to deflect it with and explosion if the boosters/rocket engines do not work. I am not a scientist, but this asteroid would also give us a free ride through the solar system. Maybe we could steer it towards one of the gas giants?

How to fight an asteroid

Dinesh Jamdar, Thane,Maharashtra — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:17:07 GMT

What if we can increase the density of an earth's certain limited outer atmosphere to an extent that it will make the vapourization of an asteroid?

How to fight an asteroid

Darrell Mortensen, Grand Rapids, Michigan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:56:50 GMT

After doing an orbital comparison between the Earth and Apophis. I propose that being the orbits are so closely related that we take this opportunity to send a probe equiped with the Ion Propulsion Engine and land and or attach it to Apophis and then use the thrust from the engine to nudge it into a parallel orbit with the Earth bringing it in closer so that we can better study this body close up. Also from the execise we would further learn how to better deal with other random extra-solar bodies that may threaten us. It could also be a prelude to mining these asteroids for the necessary materials to continue building habitats and equipment in a space environment where we would not need to defeat the deep gravity well of the Earth to place them into space in the first place.

How to fight an asteroid

Not worried atall, texas — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:01:47 GMT

Just call Bruce Willis and get him on the job...Problem solved

How to fight an asteroid

Linda Rogers, Belmont, NC — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:55:17 GMT

Think yes the possiblity is there but the real reason for the mainia is the scientists just want more grants and hard earned tax dollars from the people

I am very skeptical of this.

How to fight an asteroid

bob, huntsville, al — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:15:48 GMT

The only real solution to the threats of asteroids is the Global Asteroid Protection Society (stoprocks.com). The international space community is not prepared for a threat and currently our technology is lacking. Take a look and see for yourself.

How to fight an asteroid

Dan D — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:45:58 GMT

We have missiles that can take out dangerous comets or asteroids. We proved this recently.

How to fight an asteroid

sam — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:06:15 GMT

hi will the asteroid not just break up a little wen entering the earths atmosphere and hu ever said to use nuclear bomes on it if u blow it up then u may get two smaller objects hurtling to earth i think the safest way to affect the asteroid is to use a tractor nasa already have that why not use what we have already got

How to fight an asteroid

Gary, Raleigh, NC — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:34:35 GMT

Space tractor? Do we really think that we'd always have enough time to get it in the place it needs to be? The best we could do would be a bunch of earth and moon-based antigravitational beam lasers or extremely powerful lasers, and even then, something could always slip through. We really need to spend time on terraforming and colonizing other planets instead if we're serious about this stuff.