| Author | Message | ||
     Ferris_von_bueller |
http://rt.com/news/paint-asteroid-earth-nasa-767/ | ||
| Bolthead |
“The asteroid may split into pieces entering the atmosphere. In this case, most part of it will never reach the planet’s surface,” remarks Dunham. But if the entire asteroid is to crash into the planet, the impact will be as hard as in the Tunguska blast, which in 1908 knocked down trees over a total area of 2,150 sq km (830 sq miles) An average county in the US is covers approximately 830 square miles. If the asteroid breaks apart as predicted, then maybe only a quarter of a county would feel it. That means if the asteroid were to hit Omaha, it would be a bad day for the Huskers. But if it dropped on New York or Chicago, it would probably just register as another pesky nuisance. Thanks for the warning, though. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Wonder if it could be guided toward D.C. I wouldn't mind starting everything there from scratch. | ||
| Sticks |
I see, so just paint one side of it to steer is sort of. Excellent. | ||
| Sifo |
At least it will be a good looking rock when it slams into the earth. | ||
| Aesquire |
Am I allowed to complain that NASA doesn't "do space" anymore? Now is when a crash program to build an Orion Drive ship would be nice. Too bad Steve Jobs is gone, he might have gone for that. I think it's also a great pity that Theodore taylor is gone, back in '04. He'd be the man to talk to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Taylor_(physicist) His "Santa Claus machine" is an idea I'm still waiting to see come true.... Come to think of it, I know a team..... ( feed garbage into a plasma torch. Separate the elements. make stuff. ) This Asteroid business is the reason I advocate keeping some nukes handy. Let's say it will take 302 nukes to deflect & destroy this threat. How many are we supposed to have next year? 300? Ooops! Can I Complain about that decision? I don't want D.C. to go away...unless we can move the Smithsonian? | ||
| Aesquire |
Actually, paint might work. But you need the actual capacity to go into space to use it. We sorta gave that up, mostly.. ( Go! SpaceX ) It also increases the uncertainty of a direct hit, since it's orbit would be under variable thrust. ( from solar reflection ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacex Help me Obiwan Musk, you're our only hope! | ||
| Harleyelf |
We haven't given up anything but cargo capacity in orbital space. The X-37B is still in orbit, should be going on about 300 days now. Enough paint to reflectorize 50 square miles of asteroid? Now that's a job for Sir Richard Branson. Just tell him he can add a logo for Virgin Airlines to the paint. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I thought that was a Bruce Willis gig? Been doing the maths, Earths surface appx 198 million Sq/Mi danger area 830 Sq/Mi, 198000000 divided by 830 equals 238554.2 pretty good odds to be unaffected even in a worst case scenario. I live nowhere near the sea so no tsunami problem & there aren't any nuclear power plants nearby. Where's Chicken Little? | ||
| Blake |
>>> We haven't given up anything but cargo capacity in orbital space We had an active program developing a new moon lift later to be Mars staging effort. Obama cancelled that. Too many high tech, non-ACORN type jobs. Congress is keeping the effort on life support. | ||
| Aesquire |
Actually, the cargo capacity is relatively untouched, we still have Titans available. The X-37 is an unmanned military drone. You want to go to space? Still can. Pay Putin, the King of Russia. He who owns the high ground wins. Castles are built on a hill for a reason. Artillery has more range, and it's harder to get hit. ( from bows to missiles, physics is physics ) Guys on the hill can drop rocks on the guys in the valley. We've been relegated to the valley. That's where the peasants live. That's where the rocks fall. | ||
| Chauly |
The Moon is a harsh mistress! | ||
| Slaughter |
Chauly's Heinlein reference is most apt! (We throw rocks at them) - the rest of you, look it up. | ||
| Harleyelf |
We have given much up in beyond-orbital space. The question was how to get fifty tons of paint to an asteroid within orbital distance. The X-37 is a very clever satellite snatcher. It can change orbits in a way no previous craft has been able to. We used to have a Mars plan in addition to the Moon program. Here in central Florida many techs are out of work. But no one will throw rocks at us from an orbit we can reach with our unique remote-controlled spacecraft. | ||
| Slaughter |
If we're going to paint-coat one side, we better start the Environmental Impact Report - and do it soon. I can't imagine what painting that large rock would do to its ecosystem. | ||
| Zane |
No don't paint it. Some butt munch will cover it with graffiti and gang signs... (Message edited by Zane on March 07, 2012) | ||
| Davegess |
This is not the big one. Neil Tyson explains about the big one here http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=neil%20tyso n%20hayden%20planetarium%20astroid&source=web&cd=5 &ved=0CEAQtwIwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com% 2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxaW4Ol3_M1o&ei=uiZYT6zRDY7sggfIlPH0D A&usg=AFQjCNFUZUKGuIxW_dihUZQupUGu2cxlsg This is the one we need to worry about. |
