NASA Report: How to Defend Planet From Asteroids

Space.com ^ | February 11, 2014 | Tanya Lewis

[kjam22]

I’ve always wondered what they would find on an asteroid that we need, that isn’t already here on earth. And then how the economics work to go there, mine it, and bring it to earth? I mean... It would have to be some EXTRAORDINARY. I know the science geeks all foam at the mouth at the idea of mining asteroids... but there is no way it happens unless our tax dollars pay for it.

[KoRn]

"Nuke it."

Nearly useless. The best we could hope for with the current technology available to us is to somehow interact with it while it's far away, and find a method for driving it off course. Nukes are something to try when every other ideas have been exhausted. So many variables are involved.

[kjam22]

If we developed the ability to use asteroids as a weapon... there is no doubt we’d sell the technology to third world countries.....

[NCDave]

Can’t we just position PLANET HILLARY out there and move her around so they strike her?? Other than that purpose, what good is she? Or, what difference does it make, to have PLANET HILLARY??

[Mastador1]

There are so many to choose from! It is hard to name them all.

[txhurl]

Doubt they’d land it... drag it above the troposphere and send mining robots up to extract minerals.

They could probably get a big rock to behave and orbit as docilely as a SAT.

[MHGinTN]

Sell? Hell john Brennan and little barry bastard boy would give it to al Qaeda.

[kjam22]

What minerals would they find there that we need, that we don’t have on this planet? I don’t get the economic value.

[kjam22]

Probably...

[jetson]

[txhurl]

Most of the rare-earths we have didn't come from earth... but from impacts. Diamonds, metals, etc....

If we developed an attack dart swarm that plunged say half a million tiny jet-thrusters into an asteroid, we could move it around at will, if it was a slow-mover.

[kjam22]

LOL... How many billions of R&D dollars would that cost? Our government is broke already. That’s all we need is to all pay for that.

[MHGinTN]

All we need to do is figure out how whomever parked Phobos in orbit around Mars.

[kjam22]

Same person who parked Earth in orbit around the Sun. Same method.

[txhurl]

Mining contractors could pay all the costs.. mind you, this would only work with slow-moving NEOs. Fast-movers, we’re all gone.

[outofsalt]

Most asteroids are just undocumented space invaders which should be welcomed.

[kjam22]

Mining contractors could pay all the costs? Sheesh... not and make a profit. Who could afford diamonds or any other mineral from an asteroid if the mining contractors had to pay for all the R&D and then the operating expenses of mining the thing.

It's a great dream. There are NO economics in it for the private sector.

[txhurl]

I’m not defending this. I’m just explaining why we might be reading this article published by NASA.

[kjam22]

okay... thanks...

[Darksheare]

Throw politicians at them.