NASA Is Destroying an Asteroid in September!
PJ Media,
by
Chris Queen
Original Article
Posted By: ladydawgfan,
8/25/2022 6:27:25 AM
Once in a while, we hear a story in the news about an asteroid that’s going to fly close to the Earth. It’s always no threat to the planet, but with all the objects flying around in space, something is bound to find its way onto a collision course with Earth at some point.
Since we don’t want a scenario like that in the films Deep Impact and Armageddon, NASA has been working on technology that will allow it to neutralize the threat without sending Bruce Willis or Robert Duvall into space.
NASA is conducting a test of its planetary defense system on Sept. 26.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
mossley 8/25/2022 6:49:31 AM (No. 1258515)
It would be cool if there was a smidgen of truth to the headline or story. The DART mission will not try to destroy the asteroid, but instead it's measuring how much the trajectory will be affected by the collision.
11 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Rich323 8/25/2022 7:19:50 AM (No. 1258529)
Curling with asteroids!
6 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Muguy 8/25/2022 7:32:19 AM (No. 1258538)
That very small asteroid has a very tiny moon that somehow ORBITS the asteroid.
There mere fact that an asteroid has a moon is fascinating, but even more fascinating is how there could be anything circling something with so little mass... definitely something to watch on NASA TV when it happens!
If they move the path of the asteroid, what will happen to its orbiting moon?
10 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Historybuff 8/25/2022 9:04:38 AM (No. 1258660)
Wait! Don’t we need an environmental study first?
7 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
EJKrausJr 8/25/2022 9:04:48 AM (No. 1258662)
What could possibly go wrong? Invasion of the Triffids comes to mind. Scientists playing God. What are the contingencies in case the asteroid is deflected toward Earth? Come on scientists, what will you do?
6 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
ROLFNader 8/25/2022 9:14:06 AM (No. 1258670)
(Note to self,).......... dig out the kryptonite umbrella.....
4 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
red1066 8/25/2022 9:19:17 AM (No. 1258676)
From what I've read in the past, NASA won't actually destroy the asteroid, but attempt to push it off its current path by colliding with the asteroid to change its direction. By doing this, NASA might end up changing the track of the asteroid, causing its track to be on a collision course with earth.
6 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
kennedylaw 8/25/2022 9:40:37 AM (No. 1258713)
It is not going to get "blown to smithereens." If the mission is successful, it will alter the course of the asteroid by a minute amount, but enough that it will be detectable by telescopes on Earth. The change in course will be so small that it may take weeks to confirm it. In the case of an asteroid heading to Earth, if it is detected far enough in advance, a very small change in direction is all it would take. OTOH, if we first detect an asteroid only a few weeks or months before it hits, we are toast.
4 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
MDConservative 8/25/2022 9:49:20 AM (No. 1258728)
So, now as "Leader of the Free World" we have assumed responsibility for saving the earth from asteroids. Don't be whining about "government spending" and inflation. According to the Planetary Society:
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) project cost $324.5 million. $308 million was spent on spacecraft development, $68.8 million for launch services, and $16.5 million is expected to spent on operations and data analysis.
No mention of our allies chipping in to "save the earth." Maybe Space Force can run the full-scale operation.
1 person likes this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
DVC 8/25/2022 9:52:08 AM (No. 1258735)
First...not going to destroy the asteroid, just bump it, kinda like smacking a pool ball with another pool ball, to cause it to change orbit. Calibration of their calculations, I'm sure.
Now, if they can just avoid knocking it into a collision course with Earth, that would be nice. That would be the ultimate "scratch shot", in eightball terms.
1 person likes this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
kono 8/25/2022 9:56:55 AM (No. 1258746)
Have the authorities that approved this established, absolutely, that there are no microbes or other life forms on that asteroid? I bet they never even considered filing an environmental impact analysis for the mission.
/sarc
Now watch this wind up putting the space rock on a trajectory directly towards earth...
5 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Paperpuncher 8/25/2022 10:23:53 AM (No. 1258779)
Elon Musk could do it for less money.
3 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
Hermit_Crab 8/25/2022 11:49:06 AM (No. 1258887)
Well, I'm glad to read from commenters that it isn't going to be turned from a bullet into a shotgun blast.
2 people like this.
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Well, THIS is kinda cool!!