Re: remember this? nukes deflect asteroids
- From: John Larkin <jjlarkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:36:25 -0700
On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:24:20 +0000, Guy Macon
<http://www.guymacon.com/> wrote:
A couple of observations that the media often misses:
If you start when the object is far enough away, the force
needed can be quite small. This is very useful for that
big rock that just had a near-miss and is likely to hit
two or three orbits down the road. Not so good for the
one heading straight at us that we didn't see coming.
With most methods for applying force, there is a chance
of breaking up what might be a pile of rocks held together
with microgravity.
It doesn't matter if it is broken up; all that matters is that the
orbit of the bits is changed.
[1] A really good capability for seeing these thing coming
when they are still very far away.
Absolutely.
[2] A gravitational tug with a lot of delta V so it can meet
up with and match velocities with an object far out,
and a reliable long-term small-thrust system to use once
it gets there.
It will still take a huge amount of energy to deflect a large object.
Nukes have more energy than anything else available, by a huge factor.
[3] A close-in method that can blow big rocks and big slush
balls into a very large number of very small objects.
Breaking it up doesn't help the people on the ground much. Missing
Earth entirely helps a bit more.
[4] Some method for dealing with smaller threats - rocks
just barely big enough to destroy a city. Large lasers,
(maybe space-based) perhaps.
Why not nukem too?
John
.
- References:
- remember this? nukes deflect asteroids
- From: John Larkin
- Re: remember this? nukes deflect asteroids
- From: Guy Macon
- remember this? nukes deflect asteroids
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