MikeLigalig.com

JACQUELINE HOWARD: Hey everyone. Jacqueline Howard here. Several astronomers all around the world are scanning the skies on a regular basis, pointing high-tech telescopes toward the cosmos, taking note of what’s zipping by our planet while remaining on alert. So, what are they looking for? Dangerous asteroids. Particularly, a giant global killer that may have our name on it. Scary, right?! But not necessarily unlikely. We all saw what happened in Chelyabinsk, Russia, when that meteor exploded in the sky, causing damage and injuries back in February. How big is the risk that something similar may happen again -- or even something worse? Well to find out, I spoke with Lindley Johnson. He’s the program executive for NASA’s near-Earth objects office in Washington, D.C.

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=74686.0

LJ: Most of the studies show that there are probably three leading techniques that might be used. The principle of much of these mitigation techniques, deflection techniques, is to change the speed that the asteroid is traveling in space.”

JH: So, Lindley said technique number-one is using a kinetic impactor, something like a projectile or rocket, that would smack into a space rock at high velocity causing it to veer off course. Kaboom! Other studies suggest a weighted robotic spacecraft could just kind of nudge an asteroid off course. Technique number two is using the force of gravity itself to change a space rock’s path. That could be done by flying a big spacecraft out to the asteroid, so they’re right next to each other, and then hopefully the gravitational attraction between the two would be strong enough to deflect the asteroid. But with both of those options, it would take years -- some scientists estimate around a decade -- to pull together the capabilities, travel out to the space rock, and allow time for the rock’s trajectory to change. And then we’ve got technique number-three, which is total destruction, basically blow up the space rock with some explosive. Now, if we had to put one of these plans into action -- who would be orchestrating all of this?

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=74686.0