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Just watched a documentary about how to stop an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. Basically they stated that we don't have a nuclear weapon capable of stopping a 1km diameter asteroid. (1000+ megatons is required)
So this is my plan. Choose a suitable asteroid from the belt between Mars and
Jupiter. Attach ion drives, rockets, solar sails or whathaveyou, and drive the thing on a collison course with the approaching worldkiller. You wouldn't need a very big one to do the job, a rock about half the size of the apporaching asteroid should be enough to split it in two and save the Earth.
PS. they said that an asteroid has been discovered that will impact Earth in 800 years time, so we'd better get our act together.
Cosmic airbag could save the planet
http://www.newscien...s.jsp?id=ns99992790
New Scientist article. [Detly]
Space-based missiles could save the world
http://www.newscien...s.jsp?id=ns99991924
New Scientist article. [Detly]
NEA HAZARD MITIGATION USING THE YARKOVSKY EFFECT
http://www.lpi.usra...sc2002/pdf/1223.pdf
J. N. Spitale, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Tucson (Painting an asteroid white...) [Detly, Oct 21 2004]
We could just move it to where we want it
http://www.halfbake...20calendar_20reform
[Shz, Oct 21 2004]
Collison installation
http://www.paulgraham.com/ds.html
// on a collison course // [notexactly, Feb 18 2019, last modified Mar 18 2019]
Hold my beer;
Asteroid_20Orbital_20Decay_20Harvesting
I've got this. [pertinax, Feb 18 2019]
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[sealorator] Because the approaching asteroid would be a long way out, and pretty fast moving. Much easier to access a local asteroid. And you could send multiple rocks just to make sure. |
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With 800 years to prepare it may be easier to dig a hole through earth so the asteroid can pass through without doing damage. The material from the hole could be used to make a small backup world where valuable items can be stored, like my bones. |
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New Scientist published an article (or a couple, really) on a forum that was held to discuss such a situation. It had a variety of interesting, but somewhat impractical ideas (including painting one side white to deflect its path). There were also intermittent articles on the subject. See some links. Of course, these aren't the same as your idea, but you might find them interesting nonetheless. |
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Sorry for the flood of links, but I found an article on the asteroid I presume you're referring to... |
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I particularly like the title. |
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"...and the good news is that we don't have to watch our own Sun explode." |
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you don't need to destroy the asteroid, just nudge it out of collision path. the ions alone could do that. |
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// Attach ion drives, rockets, solar sails or whathaveyou, and drive the thing on a collison course with the approaching worldkiller. // |
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why not attach those drives to the oncoming asteroid and steer it off course? |
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Better yet, park it in orbit and use it for something useful like mining for minerals or an anchor for a space elevator... ugh |
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// why not attach those drives to the oncoming asteroid
and steer it off course? // |
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// Because the approaching asteroid would be a long way
out, and pretty fast moving. Much easier to access a local
asteroid. And you could send multiple rocks just to make
sure. // |
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And what's wrong with the links on this idea? |
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Hey, is Bruce Willis available these days? How about Steve Buscemi? |
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