[Norm Lenhart]

Considering it’s not that big a rock, why not just retarget an ICBM “up”? This isn’t rocket sci...er...ehm..on second thought ;)

Seriously though, a couple megaton nuke could pretty much powderize that size a rock unless it was a chunk of iron. And I cannot believe that with modern targeting computers we would miss. It’s not like that thing will take evasive action.

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

And I cannot believe that with modern targeting computers we would miss. It’s not like that thing will take evasive action.

* * *

That was my first thought too: use an ICBM. But how far up can one of those babies go? If it can’t reach very far, then you’re pulverizing the rock pretty close to Earth. Would that put a giant dust cloud into our atmosphere? Would that become another “Year Without Summer?” Or (I’m not a scientist, I just like science fiction! LOL!) could an exploding ICBM high in the atmosphere knock out electronics, etc.? Perhaps the ICBM scenario is not workable after all.

[GonzoGOP]

Considering it’s not that big a rock, why not just retarget an ICBM “up”?

You are aware of course that an ICBM being a ballistic missile doesn't have the thrust to reach escape velocity. Meaning it goes up and then comes down. By the time the asteroid would be in range of an ICBM it is way too late for an ICBM to do much about it. What you need is something like a Saturn V, that could put a large mass onto escape velocity. But we haven't had one of those since 1973.

[Mouton]

I am not a physicist, but seems to me a nuke blast in deep space does not have the blast affects one would have in an atmospheric enviornment as there is no atmosphere to compress. Perhaps the energy would nudge the rock into another orbit of the sun but I don’t think it would pulverize it.

Anyone have any thoughts on this??