NASA goes asteroid hunting…

[Midpack]

Alan provided this link in another thread, but I thought it deserved a thread of its own since some here cite asteroid strikes as part of retirement planning…

https://www.theguardian.com/science...id-to-avoid-armaggedon?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

[CaptTom]

...since some here cite asteroid strikes as part of retirement planning…

OK. I'll bite.


My updated retirement plan:

1) Become a multi-billionaire.
2) Make friends with Elon Musk.
3) Have a rocket to Mars fueled and ready for me in case the SHTF*.


Done.





* Or should that be AHTE - Asteroid Hits the Earth?

 

[Koolau]

Sounds like some really cool science. The pictures of the event should be stunning. I still recall the project to impact a comet - with amazing video. Newer technology should give us a front row seat to the collision.

It would be nice to scratch one black-swan event off my list. YMMV

 

[Gumby]

To deal with an asteroid on a collision course with earth, I think that rather than some sort of impact event, it would be better for a craft to "dock" with the asteroid and then use steady propulsion over a long period of time to change its trajectory. An impact risks doing nothing more than breaking the asteroid into several smaller pieces all still on a collision course.

 

[audreyh1]

We watched the replay this morning. That was cool. I'm very curious to see how it works out. They only expect to tighten the orbit of the smaller asteroid a bit as it orbits the bigger asteroid.

They mentioned that there are no earth threatening asteroids expected for the next 100 years, but you never know!!!!

 

[Bamaman]

We live in Huntsville, better known as the Rocket City. We often run into rocket scientists, NASA engineers and retired Army colonels (West Point.)

I was talking to one of the other parents in our church's Veteran's Day float. She had a Master's Degree in Astro Physics.

The Space Command is presently being relocated here, and 500 engineers are coming to town to work on the replacement for the old Minuteman defensive missiles. 2,000 additional FBI employees are being relocated from VA. All intercontinental missiles are managed out of here, as is all of the Army's Aviation (helicopters mainly.) And the second largest research park has many, many projects, including advanced cancer cures.

No wonder the city bills it as one of the countries smartest cities. I'd have to agree.

 

[skyking1]

To deal with an asteroid on a collision course with earth, I think that rather than some sort of impact event, it would be better for a craft to "dock" with the asteroid and then use steady propulsion over a long period of time to change its trajectory. An impact risks doing nothing more than breaking the asteroid into several smaller pieces all still on a collision course.

I thought so too, but the fly in that ointment is rotation. The objects are typically rotating and irregular shaped, so making the landing is dicey, then you have to time your thrusts. I picture it like the old machine gun timing devices for the WW I fighter planes with cowl mounted guns.

 

[Car-Guy]

I think this (from Wikipedia) sums it up.



In April 2018, the B612 Foundation reported "It is 100 percent certain we'll be hit [by a devastating asteroid], but we're not 100 percent sure when."[10] Also in 2018, physicist Stephen Hawking, in his final book Brief Answers to the Big Questions, considered an asteroid collision to be the biggest threat to the planet.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid

 

[audreyh1]

Asteroid only has to be 1/2 a mile wide to cause devastation, right?

 

[Car-Guy]

Asteroid only has to be 1/2 a mile wide to cause devastation, right?

If it hits you on the head (or anywhere) "at speed", just a fraction of an inch would cause major damage.... Hey thousands of little ones (meteors) hit the Earth surface each year.

I've read that the big one that killed off the dinosaurs ~65 million years ago was only ~6 miles wide.... So I'd think, 1/2 mile asteroid would be pretty bad.

 

[aja8888]

The Space Command is presently being relocated here, and 500 engineers are coming to town to work on the replacement for the old Minuteman defensive missiles. 2,000 additional FBI employees are being relocated from VA. All intercontinental missiles are managed out of here, as is all of the Army's Aviation (helicopters mainly.) And the second largest research park has many, many projects, including advanced cancer cures.

No wonder the city bills it as one of the countries smartest cities. I'd have to agree.

This ^^^ brings back memories.

Minuteman nursemaid was my job when in the Air Force. Lived underground, had Top Secret Crypto security clearance. Etc, great weapon system!

 

[Koolau]

Asteroid only has to be 1/2 a mile wide to cause devastation, right?

Meteor Crater (AKA Barringer Crater) AZ was apparently caused by a meteoroid thought to be about 160 ft in diameter. The crater is about 3/4 mile across. I've seen at least one documentary suggesting the equivalence to a nuclear blast. It's debatable, but an air-burst of similar size would likely be more devastating - see Tunguska blast (thought to be somewhat larger meteoroid.)

Depends on the definition of "devastation" but a major city's destruction would likely need a much smaller meteoroid than 1/2 mile. SWAG is that 1/2 mile would take out TX (and environs) or Alaska. Then, there's "nuclear" winter effects which are not completely understood. No expert - just interested and fascinated so YMMV.