Earth protection shield

According to an article under www.welt.de ESA is going to test an Earth protection shield. The probe Hidalgo will collide with an asteroid while the probe Sancho will look for possible modifications of the asteroid's course by the collision.

Is it more probable that the course of an asteroid can be modified than that the asteroid can be destructed?



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

Breaking an asteroid into pieces may not eliminate (or even reduce) its damage potential, if the orbit for the pieces is not much changed from the original, collision course!

Right, rpspeck. Deflection is absolutely the way to go.

No, no, no! This is *NOT* going to become another <gasp> -- dare I say it <shudder> -- Orbital Mechanics thread.

<pokes good-naturedly at Peter and Ekke>

Melosh wants large solar reflectors to move them--though large rocket stages offer a bit more control on smaller objects--you don't land so much as you "dock" with them. To have upper stages large enough to give that space rock enough of a deviation--it has to be pretty big.

And you know what that means

<this link points at Publius's personal thread>

<poke>