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How To Deflect an Asteroid With Today's Technology

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-use-the-phasers dept.

Matt_dk writes "Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart is among an international group of people championing the need for the human race to prepare for what will certainly happen one day: an asteroid threat to Earth. Schweickart said the technology is available today to send a mission to an asteroid in an attempt to move it, or change its orbit so that an asteroid that threatens to hit Earth will pass by harmlessly. But what would such a mission entail?"

4 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. Let's get this over with. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bruce Willis.

    1. Re:Let's get this over with. by Fozzyuw · · Score: 4, Funny

      You're over thinking this. All you need is a wedge shaped ship that shoots square bullets.

      --
      "The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth." ~1984 George Orwell
  2. Spoiler alert by srussia · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bruce Willis died deflecting the last one. It'll have to be Ben Affleck next time... finally.

    --
    Set your phasers on "funky"!
  3. Re:The cost... by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Funny

    None of them want to pay taxes again. Ever.

    I don't think a spaceshipload of teabaggers is going to be the right choice skillset-wise for effectively deflecting an asteroid. Can't we just put them on the B-Ark and fly them into the Sun?

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff