Image: Don Davis/NASA
Last April, I wrote a fairly detailed post about asteroids and near-Earth objects. In it, I mention the gravity deflection (a.k.a. “gravity tractor”) method which consists of stationing a spacecraft a short distance from the asteroid and using gravitational attraction to pull the asteroid off course.
New Scientist reports on a related study led by Massimiliano Vasile of the University of Glasgow in Scotland:
[researchers] compared nine of the many methods proposed to ward off such objects, including blasting them with nuclear explosions.
The team assessed the methods according to three performance criteria: the amount of change each method would make to the asteroid’s orbit, the amount of warning time needed and the mass of the spacecraft needed for the mission.
The method that came out on top was a swarm of mirror-carrying spacecraft. The spacecraft would be launched from Earth to hover near the asteroid and concentrate sunlight onto a point on the asteroid’s surface.
Image: M Vasile et al, University of Glasgow
The concentrated light would be enough to heat up the surface of the asteroid to more than 2,100° Celcius, vaporising it into gases, creating enough thrust to change the course of the asteroid.
The scientists found that 10 of these spacecraft, each bearing a 20-metre-wide inflatable mirror, could deflect a 150-metre asteroid in about six months. With 100 spacecraft, it would take just a few days, once the spacecraft are in position.
To deflect a 20-kilometre asteroid, about the size of the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, it would take the combined work of 5000 mirror spacecraft focusing sunlight on the asteroid for three or more years.
5,000 ships is a lot, but 20-kilometer asteroids are also very rare. Chances are we’ll have to deal with much smaller ones a lot sooner.
What are the problems with some of the other methods according to the study? For the same mass launched into space, the gravity tractor takes more time. The nuclear explosion is about as effective as the mirrors, but there’s a danger that the asteroid could break up in many smaller pieces, making it harder to deal and unpredictable, even potentially more dangerous than it was.
Another option, especially for smaller rocks, is to simply ram a spacecraft into them (and then, as needed, use a gravity tractor or mirror(s) to fine tune the trajectory).
The most important thing is to start building up both our deflection tools and our detection tools. We don’t want to be caught with our pants down.
Sources:
- Are mirrors the best way to deflect asteroids?
- Mirrors ‘could deflect’ asteroids
- Inflatable Mirrors on spacecraft would move asteroids fastest
See also:
January 31, 2008 at 8:13 pm |
[…] Deflecting Earth-Bound Asteroids […]
February 2, 2008 at 4:37 am |
Glad someone is putting out decent info on Near Earth Asteroids. Wish I knew enough about the science of all this so I could share it on in the Myspace world. There’s people dumber than myself worldwide.
Cool site and nice that there is a possibilty to avoid an impact with Apophis.
Thanx rcb
August 7, 2008 at 12:13 pm |
men this will never happend and that 2012 is all fake wtf did the maya`s telling this would be all happend and The End Of The Earth No But it`s all a nice Theorie
May 1, 2009 at 10:29 am |
very creepy. myself never did like seeing shows on space. they are sometimes okay but the whole birth and death of everything gives me the chills. and if the 2012 thing were to happen i would be the earth cleansing herself like we’ve seen since 2005. through virus and diasters on earth not from space. but if you look it really seems earth is washing herself in a way.
May 13, 2009 at 10:20 am |
Certainly,Asteroids and Comets are something we must always keep our eyes on regarding our Safety in the Universe! I do wish that a Meteorite would land on earth that I could locate and spot for retrieving purposes.
May 28, 2009 at 11:49 pm |
WELL I AM 20 AND I ANT NO SCIENCE BUT I WOULD JUST MAKE NUKE AND SHOOT IT IN THE ASTEROID WELL DRILL IT AND BLOW IT UP
October 23, 2009 at 11:11 am |
Would like to know your thoughts on the near earth orbit of the apophus meteor skimming our atmosphere in 2029? ie if you get the chance, would very much appreciate any thing you have on this one. Thank you respectfully yours.
Ron Lewis (rcb) shaman