ESA Selects Targets for Asteroid Deflection Test 284
Vandil X writes "The European Space Agency has announced that it has selected two candidate asteroid targets for a planned mission to impact an asteroid in an attempt to deflect the asteroid off course by a measurable amount. The mission, dubbed "Don Quijote," will send two spacecraft to their final choice asteroid. One craft will impact the asteroid while the other will observe the asteroid before and after the collision. The mission craft and target selection are expected to be finalized sometime in 2007."
Sweet mercy (Score:5, Funny)
NO DADDY NO (Score:2, Funny)
The public will get to view the event (Score:5, Funny)
Artist's conceptions of spacecraft (Score:4, Funny)
Dateline 27 September 2159 (Score:5, Funny)
In other news, the asteroid deflected in 2008 by the European Space Agency has been confirmed as hitting Earth in December this year, with an expected impact point near Switzerland.
It's been nice knowing you folks.
But what about.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What happens... (Score:5, Funny)
Seriously, though. If you read the article, you would know that they picked an asteroid that will never cross the earth's path (more than 1AU from sun at all times). The tiny nudge would be like hitting Pavorati with a spit ball. Not nearly enough to make it an earth killer.
Re:Dateline 27 September 2159 (Score:1, Funny)
They think it was an act of war then show up and melt our faces. Thanks a lot NASA. You're tax dollars at work.
In case of slashdotting (Score:3, Funny)
1. 2002 AT4
2. France
Re:Something wrong with p? (Score:3, Funny)
Whatever happened... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Crash? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What happens... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Sweet mercy (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Crash? (Score:5, Funny)
I have. It is called "Slashdot".
Re:Hmm... But wait... (Score:3, Funny)
It costs less than an "Oh shit!" down the road.
OOPS (Score:5, Funny)
Brace for impact! (Score:4, Funny)
I'd deflect her asteroid... (Score:2, Funny)
Including: "Deploying a giant parabolic mirror to concentrate the sun's rays and vaporize rock on the surface of the asteroid. The vaporized material flies off at high speed and generates a re-coil action that pushes the asteroid, slowly but surely, in the opposite direction."
Which is great, because the parabolic mirror can double as a way for Bruce Willis to cook and refrigerate his food [solarcooking.org] while he's there.
Re:But what about.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Dateline 27 September 2159 (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Whatever happened... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What happens... (Score:3, Funny)
Multiple answers:
ALIENS: "Game over, man, game over!"
LAST STARFIGHTER: *bzzt* "We die."
YOSEMITE SAM: "Say yer prayers, varmint."
MARVIN THE MARTIAN: "The Earth? Oh, the Earth will be gone in just a few seconds."
Do you feel better now?
Re:What happens... (Score:4, Funny)
"Pavarotti SMASH!!! "
It's A Trap (Score:2, Funny)
Land an anchor on the thing (Score:3, Funny)
This sounds a lot like something that's been tried before. Why don't they draw a conclusion from the existing data from Tempel-1? Or, while they're at it, why not try a new concept?
For instance, how about landing on the asteroid and attaching an anchor to it? Drop anchor (unreel) and wait for the closest approach to the moon. Then, use an ion drive on the anchor to bring it as close to the moon as possible. If the cable is long enough, the anchor will be pulled down into the gravity well of the moon with much greater force than otherwise. It won't capture the asteroid in lunar orbit, but the trajectory of the asteroid will be changed in a far more predictable and adjustable way than with impacts and explosions.
An extra bonus is that communicating with the anchor, you will always know the exact location of the asteroid.
The only catch is that you need a very long cable, and that will raise the launch costs.
Re:Now... (Score:3, Funny)
Alien Attack! (Score:2, Funny)
Crashing spacecraft into celestial bodies? (Score:3, Funny)
There's a Beagle 2 joke here somewhere, but I can't place it.
Re:Liv Tyler? (Score:3, Funny)
Instead of "unsung hero", lets instead call them "territorial demon-spawn".
And yes, moderators. Thats "insightful" or "funny (in a sad kind of way)" if you've been through that before. "off-topic" if you haven't.
Re:Should I Worry? (Score:3, Funny)
I suspect they know a lot of things that you don't. Things that you would find very troubling.
What about the little people... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:NO DADDY NO (Score:3, Funny)
.[/joke]
.
-shpoffo