Earth's Asteroid Defense Is Work in Progress

Can modern science defend the Earth from a large asteroid smashing into the Earth's surface, and changing life on Earth as we know it? So far, it is a scientific certainty that it has simply been a matter of "blind luck" that has so far avoided larger asteroids slamming into the Earth.

But how long will this blind luck play out in the favor of Earth's inhabitants? That is something that scientists across the globe are grappling with, and trying to figure out some way to minimize the chances of this ever happening.

It is known that the Earth has not been hit with a large asteroid in some time, and it seems that science is making some progress in the way of potentially re-directing an "Extinction Level Event" type asteroid from causing catastropohic damage on a global scale.
However, scientific strategies are not quite able to, at least not yet, assure us that there is no reason to be concerned, and that for now, we have only blind luck as hope, since it appears that scientific work has some ways to go in order to save the Earth from a large asteroid smashing into the Earth's surface.

There is no question that the Earth continues to get bombarded with asteroids on a fairly regular basis, and such has been happening throughout Earth's long history.

Here is an interesting video clip on the frequency which the Earth is hit by asteroids.
Video clip found here: www.foxnews.com...

The question is not so much whether the Earth can handle the smaller asteroids, which apparently it can without much, or at least minimal and survivable damage, but rather what, if anything, can be done if a larger asteroid is heading straight at the Earth, and us ?

This scenario begs the question: How can the Earth defend itself from a large rogue asteroid?

The following video clip gives some insight as to the plan for defending the Earth from collisions with large asteroids.

Video Clip link found here: video.foxnews.com...=show-clips

Here is a Video Clip Simulating a Large Asteroid hitting the Earth.
Video Clip found here: www.wimp.com...

Here is a story by Reuters News Service "Risk of Asteroid Hitting Earth".
Article link found here: www.reuters.com...

a reply to: rickynews

Nice idea, It'd be cool, S&F.

originally posted by: swanne
a reply to: rickynews

Seems nice, but it's from Fox News... any other source?

It'd be cool, though, S&F.

Here is a Video Clip Simulating a Large Asteroid hitting the Earth.
Video Clip found here: www.wimp.com...

Here is a story by Reuters News Service "Risk of Asteroid Hitting Earth".

Article link found here: www.reuters.com...

a reply to: rickynews

Short of mounting antimatter missiles on an orbital weapons platform we couldn't defend against any large fast moving incoming asteroid. Nukes would not be sufficient. And antimatter devices are still only theoretical, it would take more energy than we produce globally to make in any sufficient quantities. Then there's the matter of storage and transportation.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: rickynews

Short of mounting antimatter missiles on an orbital weapons platform we couldn't defend against any large fast moving incoming asteroid. And antimatter devices are still only theoretical, it would take more energy than we produce globally to make in any sufficient quantities. Then there's the matter of storage and transportation.

So it seems Blind Luck is all we have ...at least for now.

a reply to: rickynews

Seems to have worked for the last 65 million years or so. Jupiter is our friend when it comes to asteroid defense she generally captures them on there way in to our system. Also our moon seems to have taken one hell of a ponding.

I don't think it's a coincidence that we haven't had a big hit in years. The way our solar system is designed seems to prevent such events. Luck or perfectly designed? No one can answer that.

a reply to: andy06shake

Perhaps if we could push another asteroid right into the hostile asteroid's path, it could destroy, deviate, or slow down the hostile asteroid. Like playing pool in space.

It'd be near impossible, but worth a try if we are all going down anyway. This strategy could work better if we could develop NASA's warp engine. All we'd have to do it warp an asteroid directly at the hostile asteroid - poof, problem solved.

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation
I don't think it's a coincidence that we haven't had a big hit in years. The way our solar system is designed seems to prevent such events. Luck or perfectly designed? No one can answer that.

Tell that to the dinosaurs.

a reply to: swanne

Ground based lasers and particle beam weapons are also possibilities. Same problem with those as we have with antimatter devices, that being they are fiction.

Solar sails could work but how do you deploy them there when you may only receive a few days warning, maybe even hours?

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: swanne

Ground based lasers and particle beam weapons are also possibilities. Same problem with those as we have with antimatter devices, that being they are fiction.

Good point. I saw military-grade lasers and believe they're too slow to heat a whole asteroid, though. I'd place more bets on the particle beam - But as you point out, it'd need major advancements in science.

We'd need to build a CERN directed at the sky, and at least 6 of them so to cover Earth's blind angles. Plus we'd need to boost the accelerated-particle beam at much higher energy output than present values.

Solar sails could work but how do you deploy them there when you may only receive a few days warning, maybe even hours?

And the sails gives only a small push. I'm not sure that it's gonna be enough to oppose the asteroid's mass velocity. We either have to break it or oppose an equal magnitude of force against it.

originally posted by: swanne

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation
I don't think it's a coincidence that we haven't had a big hit in years. The way our solar system is designed seems to prevent such events. Luck or perfectly designed? No one can answer that.

Tell that to the dinosaurs.

How many years ago was that again? That's my point and their still isn't 100% conclusive evidence that was the case.

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation
How many years ago was that again?

65 million years ago. Statistically, there is one such impact per 50 million years - we are due for the next one.

their still isn't 100% conclusive evidence that was the case.

Well... there is a 110-miles large crater in the Yucatan, which could only have been caused by the collision of an asteroid around 6 miles in diameter.