Congressional testimony on Earth-threatening asteroid deflection technology and mission

Space Ref ^ | 04/07/2004

[RightWhale]

Words still escape me.

How about if we use solar power instead of nuclear power?

[biblewonk]

"I am Kerock!!!" Star Trek Kirk with amnesia trying to activate the asteroid deflector.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Granted: However, a workable solution (protecting from solids up to (maybe) 600 feet across)) protects against everything smaller as well.

Now, what if a 900-foot object approaches? Well, the smaller solution "might" make 4-400-4000-40,000-400,000-4,000,000 surviving little pieces. And many/most/almost all of the smaller pieces would still get absorbed over a large area by the atmosphere.

The smaller the object, the more likely it is to occur.

Since a "global-busting" asteroid/comet is rare (every 250-million years on average) we should not postpone a do-able solution for "small" (city-busting) impacts trying to get a perfect solution for every impact.

Not the government would delay and study forever trying to get a perfect solution (since "studies" are IS their research money!!!!!!!!) but they should get a workable solution going.

THEN, and only then, improve it to larger and larger sizes, each larger size less and less likely.

[RightWhale]

Maybe there is a wind-power solution.

[Robert A Cook PE]

How many years ya got before impact?

Further out you find the object, the less and less solar "power" you have available to move things.

The longer you have to go to get TO the object (to install the solar panels and set up the station to control the panels, and to fix the panels, and to install the mounting devices and bore holes for the foundations, .....), the longer the trip and the less likely it is to succeed!

See, PEOPLE have to go there (if panels are used) for installation, construction, setup, and control - since even "simple" cheap easy-to-run satellites FAIL often when they are sent inter-planetary distances.

We have had almost a perfect failure rate for even landing unmanned craft on other planets that last more than 1 month! Now, you want to seriously plan an "unmanned" construction project on a mission past Jupiter?

[Robert A Cook PE]

Man, wouldn't you want a couple of million tons of pure Nickel-Iron-Chromium-Vanadium .... (and what else?????) in a gravity well right above earth?

[RightWhale]

Right. That is my point, and the purpose of my business license. Some see city-busting disaster, others see a goldmine. It all depends how you look at it and what you are prepared to do with it.

Robot mining of asteroids is the name of the game. There may be a few, a very few, people out there as well, since there will be no shortage of things to go wrong with the 'droids.

[biblewonk]

Wind power is much too precious to waste on asteroid defense.

[RightWhale]

People will come from miles--on foot-to admire your electric lights once the oil gives out.

[Robert A Cook PE]

What!?!?!?!

How come we can't use wind power????

Ya don't think that Washington can't come up with enough hot air to deflect them asteroids?

[cogitator]

Man, wouldn't you want a couple of million tons of pure Nickel-Iron-Chromium-Vanadium .... (and what else?????) in a gravity well right above earth?

You guys have just got to read parts of the "Lensman" series by E.E. "Doc" Smith...

All we need is an inertialess drive.

[newgeezer]

I have just one question for you. Have you ever heard of "Tunguska"?

Yeah, I recall seeing something about that, maybe right here on FR.

It's interesting to see how some people worry. If their plight weren't so sad, it'd be hilarious.

[biblewonk]

F Tunguska! BWHAHAHAHAHAHA

[RightWhale]

maybe right here on FR

We never tire of Tunguska stories. FR needs another Tunguska thread to add to its collection of 1000 Tunguska threads. Let's hear again how they could read newspapers at midnight in Paris by the light. Let's hear again how Tesla did it with his mysterious resonance cannon and the over-the-pole shot.