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Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

Posted January 22, 2007 3:56 PM

From New Scientist - Latest Headlines:

A fleet of exploding probes could prepare the way for warding off hazardous asteroids. Several of the small spherical robots would land on a single asteroid, some exploding while others listen for vibrations that could reveal the object's inner structure. NASA has a list of more than 800 asteroids considered to be potentially hazardous because their orbits carry them close to Earth's. If one of them is found to be on a collision course, knowing its physical properties will be crucial in devising a mission to divert it.

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PlbMak
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Engineering Fields - Manufacturing Engineering - United Kingdom - Member - Get things done!

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#1

Re: Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

01/23/2007 3:05 AM

I have yet to here of a sensible, workable plan to divert an asteroid. About the only idea that comes close is to mount a nuclear reactor on the asteroid and use that to power some form of rocket using the native material as reaction mass. The only such motors I know about, the NERVA and the TRITON both use hydrogen as reaction mass. Any takers?

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PWSlack
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United Kingdom - Member - Indeterminate Engineering Fields - Control Engineering - New Member

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#2

Re: Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

01/23/2007 3:39 AM

Another script for Bruce Willis?

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PlbMak
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

01/23/2007 3:52 AM

A good plan, but you just know he would blow it up and the earth would be destroyed by interstellar shrapnel! Mind you, the effects would be good.

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Scapolie
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Popular Science - Weaponology - Scapolie, new member.

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#4
In reply to #2

Re: Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

01/23/2007 7:49 AM

Hi PWSlack, Bruce Willis? who are you kidding! The only person for this job would be, 007.
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PlbMak
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#5
In reply to #4

Re: Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

01/23/2007 8:41 AM

I'm afraid I disagree! I have given this a lot of thought over lunch, and decided there is only one man for the job, a man who's star out shines even 007 and, because of his essential Englishness, Ethan Hunt. I refer, of course, to the one and only Ace Rimmer.

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TRex
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#7
In reply to #5

Re: Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

01/23/2007 12:52 PM

What a guy!

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Anonymous Poster
#6

Re: Exploding robots may scout hazardous asteroids

01/23/2007 12:26 PM

Plant communication probes on passing asteroids and see if they orbit the universe!
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Previous in Blog: Rapid results   Next in Blog: Lockheed Martin to build High Altitude Airship for homeland security
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