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Science Fiction Gets Real: Killer Asteroid-Busting Mission Discussed With NASA Engineer

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posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 02:50 PM
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I read an article today that was on ZDNet, concerning an upcoming trial to deflect "killer" asteroids, before they impact our planet. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, have come up with a "kinetic impactor technique" to knock an asteroid hard enough to make it shift it's trajectory. This technique is called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and is a joint experiment by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).


DART's target is Didymos. This is a twin asteroid system comprising of two orbiting asteroids.



The plan is to "shoot" Didymos B with DART. NASA will attempt to crash DART into Didymos B in September 2022 at speeds of just under 15,000 miles per hour, or about 6km per second.

www.zdnet.com...

This has been discussed before on several threads, one in 2015 and in a more recent one, that was posted back in 2017. Since then, there have been two interesting videos posted on YouTube, by the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. One was posted back in 2018 and it contains animation and commentary from several engineers and project managers, who discuss the DART space mission. The second YouTube clip, was posted this past July and features project scientist, Nancy Chabot.

Clip from December, 2018:


Clip from July, 2019:


The ZDNet article, from today, features an interesting interview with NASA aerospace engineer, Brent Barbee, seen below:





edit on 9/4/2019 by shawmanfromny because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 02:57 PM
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This will be the death of us all.



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 03:58 PM
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a reply to: shawmanfromny

Oh the irony when this test actually causes both asteroids to hit Earth.



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 04:07 PM
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originally posted by: Blue Shift
This will be the death of us all.


No shlt we been do'n fine with our asses out of the way but noooooo!
Some azzholes just have to get out there and play god and F@%$
it up for all of us. Where else will pursuing the ancient promise
take us?
edit on 4-9-2019 by carsforkids because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 04:23 PM
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Instead of smashing into an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, why not rendezvous with it and just push it along its current orbit at a slightly accelerated rate?

Asteroids follow specific orbits, changing your orbital velocity changes your orbit. If your orbit is leading to a collision with another object on a intercepting orbit, change your velocity.

Easiest way to do that, without having to “overcome” a lot of momentum, would be to add to the asteroid’s existing momentum along its existing orbital track.



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 04:29 PM
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a reply to: shawmanfromny

I guess they had to throw "Double" and "Test" in there so the moniker would spell "DART". How cyoot.

So when it changes trajectory, it will change course, and when it changes course, it will change its orbit, and when it changes its orbit, it's bound to smack us anyways but next time at a more active part of the Earth and kill more of us. Brilliant.

Silly scientists. If it's meant to hit us, it'll hit us.



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 05:11 PM
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a reply to: carsforkids

Some people play God, because some people are God.

Are you a player or not?

How blown would a mind be, to understand how much of the world is omnipotent, and just enjoying the show.

There is a secret chord, you can play, and please us all.



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 05:38 PM
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a reply to: Archivalist

Evidently I'm not looking to please anyone.

Are you British cause England's the only place I know where
they think people are gods?


edit on 4-9-2019 by carsforkids because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 07:53 PM
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It’s already been done a couple of times. Deep Impact and Armageddon.



posted on Sep, 4 2019 @ 10:33 PM
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Hmmm...what could possibly go wrong?







 
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