Slashdot Mirror
Nukes Not the Best Way To Stop Asteroids, Says Apollo Astronaut
MajorTom writes "Right now, we are not tracking many of the asteroids that could destroy earth. But within the next decade, new telescopes will make that possible, and leave us with the tough decision of what to do about objects with an alarming chance of hitting our planet. Last year, NASA said that the best option is to nuke them. This week, Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart, explained that there are far better options, and he has started an organization to prove that they can work."
Then what does he propose that we nuke? Each other? The whales? Martians?
It's the only way to make sure.
Please let one of the options be to send Ben Affleck into space. He has experience.
Find those advanced aliens that the other Apollo astronaut says are in our midst, and arrange for technology transfer briefings on asteroid redirection.
First an Apollo Astronaut says that the government has covered up Alien contact, now this!?
The main problem with nukes is that criminals will be released from the Phantom Zone if a nuclear weapon goes off in space.
Write your own Choose Your Own Adventure. http://www.freegameengines.org/gamebook-engine/
so, let me see if I got this right:
you would have a small triangular ship. Maybe two or three extras "just in case".
we could control it remotely. A rotational control and a forward thruster should suffice.
Then we could "fire" small nukes at the object. That would change their trajectory and break them into smaller pieces.
I think it sounds like a brilliant idea, but where would we be able to find someone who could operate such a machine?
-- Sig under construction...
Trying to use nukes to deflect the asteroid seems like the more difficult solution to me. The asteroid will be far away and moving fast. Earth is close and (relative to us) not moving at all!
Clearly the more practical way to avoid a collision is to use the nukes to deflect Earth out of the path of the asteroid.
paintball
With mines or with mines?
Ezekiel 23:20
Well, duh! Nukes are second best, only to be used if Chuck Norris is unavailable.
well that would be a great idea for two reasons, firstly the mimes would not be affected by the lack of sound carrying gasses in space, and more importantly, the less mimes on the planet, the better.
What if Tetris was invented by Nazis?
An International Body - you mean like the U.N.? What do you think would happen if we put them in charge? They'd mail a letter to the asteroid explaining that they are very disappointed with its current trajectory, and in the end any direct action would be vetoed by China.
After all, they already had asteroid-blasting spaceships in the late 70's.
Don't worry, your spelling is impeccable.