Nasa to Test Anti-Asteroid Device

TC4: How NASA Plans to Test its Planetary Defense Systems on Close-Approach Asteroid

www.newsweek.com...

NASA is preparing to test out its planetary defense systems on an asteroid that will come extremely close to Earth next week.

Asteroid TC4 will pass us by on October 12 at an estimated distance of 31,000 miles—that’s an eighth of the distance between our planet and the moon, so just a whisker in astronomical terms. About 50 feet wide, the asteroid poses absolutely no threat to Earth. But it presents NASA with an opportunity to practice for a real-life impact event.

a little science fiction becoming science fact
happy shooting boys!!! we might need this for real one day!

a reply to: ElGoobero

Any US based "defense" weapon will probably be used to shoot as some country on Earth.

a reply to: ElGoobero

Mess with nature, you get the butterfly effect.

It's a cool idea but I'd hate to see some kind of irony come out of this.

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: ElGoobero

Any US based "defense" weapon will probably be used to shoot as some country on Earth.

North Korea?

a reply to: ElGoobero

About 50 feet wide, the asteroid poses absolutely no threat to Earth.

If it were we would not be told. They most likely need this device functional very soon.We are being bombarded now.

Forgive me if I have little faith in an organization that has to pay the Russians for rides into space.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: ElGoobero

Any US based "defense" weapon will probably be used to shoot as some country on Earth.

North Korea?

No, it would be some controversial, confrontational country.

Er.... wait.

a reply to: Jefferton

Needless sarcasm but star for effort...

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: Jefferton

Needless sarcasm but star for effort...

Back at ya

a reply to: Jefferton

a reply to: ElGoobero

On topic. I looked through the article and I can't find any info on the type of weapon the defense system uses. Do you have any info?

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: ElGoobero

On topic. I looked through the article and I can't find any info on the type of weapon the defense system uses. Do you have any info?

That's because there isn't one. They work out with certainty where it's going to hit so evacuation planning can start. That's the plan.

All the plans for the big ones involve seeing them early getting out to them early (with deep space craft we don't have) and nudging them.

Sooner or later our number is up and we are done, we probably deserve it.

a reply to: justwokeup

Oh, okay. Thanks for clearing that up, I scanned through and expected some mention of what they plan to use on these asteroids.

originally posted by: justwokeup

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: ElGoobero

On topic. I looked through the article and I can't find any info on the type of weapon the defense system uses. Do you have any info?

That's because there isn't one. They work out with certainty where it's going to hit so evacuation planning can start. That's the plan.

All the plans for the big ones involve seeing them early getting out to them early (with deep space craft we don't have) and nudging them.

Sooner or later our number is up and we are done, we probably deserve it.

yer right. I misread and thought they had some device.
article mentions eventually using a suicide craft or an 'ion beam' but those are just on the drawing board.

originally posted by Bluntone 22 Forgive me if I have little faith in an organization that has to pay the Russians for rides into space.

not their fault Congress decided to stop the funding. space stuff be expensive.

The only way to stop an asteroid is to use David Hamels technology to weaponise a big enough piece of rock to counter the incoming threat....this is something Hamels tech can easily accomplish....a 200 mile wide piece of rock is childsplay.......and delivering it is also childsplay.

originally posted by: StallionDuck
a reply to: ElGoobero

Mess with nature, you get the butterfly effect.

It's a cool idea but I'd hate to see some kind of irony come out of this.

With our luck they'll accidentally knock the damn thing straight for us

The thread title, and the article title, are misleading.

What exactly are those "Anti-Asteroid Device" or "Planetary Defense Systems"? Nobody really has anything like that right now.

All they can do is track the asteroid, make calculations, and run simulations.

a reply to: wildespace

I know. They shut HAARP down.
Bummer.

a reply to: ElGoobero

Space Exploration is a dying business the people are realizing the fasaud they're not really benefiting society or humanity at all.

originally posted by: Illiberation
a reply to: ElGoobero

Space Exploration is a dying business the people are realizing the fasaud they're not really benefiting society or humanity at all.

Many aspects of our modern life benefit from (and sometimes depend on) spaceflight. Exploration of the Solar System will always have a place in public consciousness and scientific interest.