Ideas For Stopping Asteroid 2011 AG5 By 2040

www.space.com...

Scientists are keeping a close eye on a big asteroid that may pose an impact threat to Earth in a few decades. The space rock, which is called 2011 AG5, is about 460 feet (140 meters) wide. It may come close enough to Earth in 2040 that some researchers are calling for a discussion about how to deflect it.

I think that we should be doing more to deal with the threat of an asteroid impact. Espicially since its it really could happen. AGV5 would do some damage.

Virtual clones of the asteroid that fit the uncertainty region in the known trajectory show 5 potential impacts between 2040 and 2047.[3] It has a cumulative 1 in 625 chance of impacting the Earth.[

en.wikipedia.org...

Should we blow it up? Deflect it? Catch it?

www.space.com...

The suggestions here are 'Gravity Tractor' , 'smash it' and 'Mirror Bees' The Mirror Bee's sound interesting.

There's the "mirror bee" concept, for example, which would launch a swarm of small, mirror-bearing spacecraft to a dangerous asteroid. These mini-probes would aim reflected sunlight at one spot on the space rock, heating it up so much that rock is vaporized, creating propulsive jets. "The reaction of that gas or material being ejected from the asteroid would nudge it off-course," Nye said.

It's semi comforting to know that they are brainstorming ideas now. One could only imagine what we find ourselves capable of 10, 20 even 30 years from now.

Things could only look better i guess.

That is, if we don't beat the asteroid to our own destruction. haha
Nice find - you can't help but have a little bit of faith sometimes.

Originally posted by theubermensch
www.space.com...

There's the "mirror bee" concept, for example, which would launch a swarm of small, mirror-bearing spacecraft to a dangerous asteroid. These mini-probes would aim reflected sunlight at one spot on the space rock, heating it up so much that rock is vaporized, creating propulsive jets. "The reaction of that gas or material being ejected from the asteroid would nudge it off-course," Nye said.

I'm sorry, i know they might've thought of this, but what about a scenario where it'll break, sending multiple pieces to earth?

reply to post by theubermensch


How about a strongly worded letter possibly followed by a petition stating we do not wish such undesireables in the neighbourhood?

Seriously though, 140 metres isn't exactly large is it? Surely most of it would burn up on re entry?

However, for something that size, couldn't they simply blow it up? Any little pieces that survived would definitely burn up going through the atmosphere. Obviously, that wouldn't be a solution for a large asteroid so i guess other theories would always be welcomed but for something that size?

Originally posted by Flavian
reply to post by theubermensch

 

How about a strongly worded letter possibly followed by a petition stating we do not wish such undesireables in the neighbourhood?

Seriously though, 140 metres isn't exactly large is it? Surely most of it would burn up on re entry?

However, for something that size, couldn't they simply blow it up? Any little pieces that survived would definitely burn up going through the atmosphere. Obviously, that wouldn't be a solution for a large asteroid so i guess other theories would always be welcomed but for something that size?

Ha
I think we should blow it up even if its not going to hit us. It would be good practice. Or try to deflect it or something.

Why bother, many won't beleive there is any proof of a real threat until their house is exploding around them Interesting stuff though. Also the number of new NEO's discovered in the last month....wow! Will be interesting to see what they come up with. I'm just wondering though, in 30 years might we not be in a total global recession, what if money = nothing - how will we fund the projects to stop the asteroid? Kickstarter.com? What if we've had civil wars or a new world war by then and the world is like Mad Max, there would be no space programs to defend us..hehe.

reply to post by theubermensch


I agree, we need to practice for ones that may be a serious threat in future! Lets be honest, if we suddenly spotted an asteroid several miles across we would like to know they actually knew what they were doing and not winging it! (which i sadly suspect would be the case).

It would be quite a cool military unit to belong to as well. When there is so much military bashing in the world, i don't think anyone would have a problem with a member of the Planetary Protection Squad (duh duh duuuh!).

Mind you, does that mean you think the strongly worded letter won't work? It may shame it into skulking off to another part of the Solar System.....

I think this would be a good opportinity to test out some of the propulsion systems which may be on the drawing board and in need of testing.

The proposed unit could be sent to make a soft landing, which has been done already. Then use it to push these object into an orbit where they can be examined and even exploited for any desirable minerals found.

They could be then be made useful rather than dangerous.

reply to post by hdutton


Yeah, i am kind of stuck between thinking we should use this particular asteroid (due to size and potential threat) for testing a variety of theories and simply nuking it.

Therefore i think the best suggestion is to do both - try out loads of options and then, when finished, nuke it for practice for future threats. That would end up a win-win, unless we subsequently discover it to be an intergalactic day care centre and we get loads of angry alien parents turning up on the doorstep......

reply to post by markymint

What if we've had civil wars or a new world war by then and the world is like Mad Max,

Im gonna steal a helicopter and drop snakes on people.

reply to post by theubermensch


The first thing we should probably do is get a robotic spacecraft in orbit around it in order to determine the asteroids composition. Another good thing to know would be how is it tumbling through space. As far as I know these are two of the greatest variables in dealing with a threatening Asteroid

Originally posted by iforget
reply to post by theubermensch

 

The first thing we should probably do is get a robotic spacecraft in orbit around it in order to determine the asteroids composition. Another good thing to know would be how is it tumbling through space. As far as I know these are two of the greatest variables in dealing with a threatening Asteroid

I think the 'gravity tractor' idea is interesting.

The gravity tractor If researchers detect a potentially dangerous space rock in plenty of time, the best option may be to send a robotic probe out to rendezvous and ride along with it. The spacecraft's modest gravity would exert a tug on the asteroid as the two cruise through space together. Over months or years, this "gravity tractor" method would pull the asteroid into a different, more benign orbit. "You can get a very precise change in the orbit for the final part of the deflection using a technology of this kind," Schweickart said in late September, during a presentation at Caltech in Pasadena, Calif., called "Moving an Asteroid." Humanity has already demonstrated the know-how to pull off such a mission. Multiple probes have met up with faraway asteroids in deep space, including NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which is currently orbiting the huge space rock Vesta. And in 2005, the Japanese Hayabusa probe even plucked some pieces off the asteroid Itokawa, sending them back to Earth for analysis.

www.space.com...

reply to post by theubermensch


Yes I have been doing some reading on many of the ideas as these stories occasionally pop up. I like the the thought of a gravity tractor in that it is a minimalist approach and given the time to act allows for not creating a bigger problem through haste. There are solutions to the problem, I think that one of the fears is that in learning to control an Asteroid we could bring a new and incredibly powerful weapon to an already overcrowded table.

It's a damned if you do, damned if you dont sort of thing I hope we wise up one of these days...

reply to post by markymint


O K, why bother eating your next meal?

You will only have to spend money to by more food. You know you will get hungry again, if you live long enough.

So just give up now and quit eating .

The problem I see with a gravity tractor is what kind of mass will a spacecraft actually have, how do you get it close enough to have any effect on an asteroid's mass without inducing orbit. Only way I see that happening is for the spacecraft to have continuous power, and the ion engines are the only thing we have and I doubt any models have enough impulse to defeat orbital forces.

For a 140 meter diameter astroid why not just detonate a nuc next to or on it, maybe use a bit of miltech and design one like hardened depleted uranium piercing tip but have a nuc ordinance detonate, that should blow the the rock up and maybe even vaporize it.

Lets not over think this problem.

140 meters is not that big. You would have more problems getting the right people to sign off on a spare nuke.

It might be a loose collection of rocks. In which case a simple explosive would send most of the pieces into distant orbits far away from an Earth conjunction.
A mini bunker buster at the most if its a hard rock. Even then the pieces would likely be sent into different orbits.

reply to post by samkent


its more likely Metals

Originally posted by theubermensch

Originally posted by Flavian
reply to post by theubermensch

 

How about a strongly worded letter possibly followed by a petition stating we do not wish such undesireables in the neighbourhood?

Seriously though, 140 metres isn't exactly large is it? Surely most of it would burn up on re entry?

However, for something that size, couldn't they simply blow it up? Any little pieces that survived would definitely burn up going through the atmosphere. Obviously, that wouldn't be a solution for a large asteroid so i guess other theories would always be welcomed but for something that size?

Ha
I think we should blow it up even if its not going to hit us. It would be good practice. Or try to deflect it or something.

I agree let's take a chance at redirecting some or all of it back at us

Originally posted by hdutton
I think this would be a good opportinity to test out some of the propulsion systems which may be on the drawing board and in need of testing.

The proposed unit could be sent to make a soft landing, which has been done already. Then use it to push these object into an orbit where they can be examined and even exploited for any desirable minerals found.

They could be then be made useful rather than dangerous.

Yes if it useful we could strap a parachute to it. I think wings would be a bit tricky to manage though, the glide in would be impressive but the aerodynamics of a lump of rock might stretch us a bit. Perhaps if we also put a tail on it as well?