B Destroying asteroids shown to be very difficult

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  • Thread starter Thread starter jim mcnamara
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    Asteroids
AI Thread Summary
Recent research highlights the challenges of destroying asteroids, revealing that larger asteroids can reassemble from explosion fragments due to their own gravity. The study suggests that a more effective strategy may be to deflect asteroids rather than attempting to break them apart, as significant energy is required to ensure complete destruction. Discussions emphasize the complexities of using nuclear explosions for deflection, including the need for optimal yield and detonation depth to avoid fragmentation. The effectiveness of such methods remains uncertain, with ongoing debates about the best approaches to asteroid impact prevention. Overall, the consensus leans towards deflection as a more feasible solution for planetary defense.
  • #51
Inclination changes are routinely done for geostationary satellites. They need zero inclination but there is no launch site right at the equator. Kourou (Ariane/European Soyuz) is the closest one at 5 degree N. The rockets launch them into an orbit with the lowest inclination available from the launch site, afterwards they change their inclination with their own propulsion. They also need to raise their perigee, as nearly all satellites are released in an elliptic orbit. With chemical rockets that can be a single burn, with electric propulsion they do it slowly with continuous thrust over months.
 

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