A collision between Earth and an asteroid a few kilometers in diameter would release as much energy as the simultaneous detonation of several million nuclear bombs, and with the impact of an asteroid estimated at around 10 km (6.2 miles) in diameter believed to be responsible for wiping out the dinosaurs, numerous strategies have been devised to try and avoid such devastation. The latest idea comes from engineers at Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde who suggest that a swarm of laser-wielding satellites could nudge Earth-bound asteroids off their collision course.
While an Armageddon-style detonation of a nuclear device embedded within an asteroid is fine for the plot of a science fiction movie, many scientists believe a more subtle approach that involves deflecting an asteroid off its course rather than blasting it into radioactive bits and pieces that would rain down on Earth is a preferable and more realistic option. One proposed deflection technique involves using lasers to pulverize the surface of the asteroid, ejecting tiny bits of rock that would act as a propellant and push it onto a different course.
via gizmag
March 28, 2012
