Posted on 11/17/2006 5:15:39 AM PST by Esther Ruth
Wanted: man to land on killer asteroid and gently nudge it from path to Earth
David Adam Friday November 17, 2006
It is the stuff of nightmares and, until now, Hollywood thrillers. A huge asteroid is on a catastrophic collision course with Earth and mankind is poised to go the way of the dinosaurs. To save the day, Nasa now plans to go where only Bruce Willis has gone before. The US space agency is drawing up plans to land an astronaut on an asteroid hurtling through space at more than 30,000 mph. It wants to know whether humans could master techniques needed to deflect such a doomsday object when it is eventually identified. The proposals are at an early stage, and a spacecraft needed just to send an astronaut that far into space exists only on the drawing board, but they are deadly serious. A smallish asteroid called Apophis has already been identified as a possible threat to Earth in 2036.
Chris McKay of the Nasa Johnson Space Centre in Houston told the website Space.com: "There's a lot of public resonance with the notion that Nasa ought to be doing something about killer asteroids ... to be able to send serious equipment to an asteroid.
"The public wants us to have mastered the problem of dealing with asteroids. So being able to have astronauts go out there and sort of poke one with a stick would be scientifically valuable as well as demonstrate human capabilities."
A 1bn tonne asteroid just 1km across striking the Earth at a 45 degree angle could generate the equivalent of a 50,000 megatonne thermonuclear explosion. Attempting to break it up with an atomic warhead might only generate thousands of smaller objects on a similar course, which could have time to reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
It would be a noble thing for humanity.I suppose he is capable of learning fast or perhaps he could just stay at a Holiday Inn prior to the mission!
I hear the homo's are experts with black holes.
Is that what will happen? This is far too severe!
It would only take a small booster rocket attached to the surface of the asteroid to redirect its course.
Michael Moore brings more momentum... Can we launch preemptively?!? ;-P
John Edwards could send his staff volunteer
bump
Huh? I thought they already killed Apophis.
Sorry, you are on the wrong thread.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1740161/posts?page=41#41
Better.
Just let Karl Rove trick it into missing us. Much cheaper for us easier on the asteroid.
Okay, so how do you do it without saving the rest of the world?
"I can't wait for the sudden arrival of "space environmentalists" who will get upset at human beings upsetting the natural order of things out in space akin to dumping toxic chemicals into a river, and blowing asteroids into pieces as target practice akin to something like deer hunting."
I have already seen environmentalist on the net wanting to stop space exploration because: It alters the pristine environment of the moon.
If they allow me to alter the mission parameters to remove the term, "Gently Nudge," from the plans, I'll go.
Randy don't do nuthin', "Gently."
I hate to break it to you, but there's already a ban on nuclear detonations in space.
This cuts both ways. If we can nudge an asteroid away, we can nudge one closer.
We pick the size and landing point, go there, and push. Months or years later, a new crater where once there was a city, a county, a country. A coastline gone, like the new evidence for an impact in Madagascar.
We should nail down space soon- whoever gets this capability will be in charge.
Did Al Gore invent ateroids?
If they are just packed rubble...nuking them won't require a landing, and will have a good vaporization profile.
IT WILL OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE A DIESEL!.........
Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.......
If you want on or off the DIESEL "KNOCK" LIST just FReepmail me........
This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days......
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