Over the last few years robotic observatories have discovered a number of rocks a few days or hours before they impact Earth. They have thankfully been quite small. So it is interesting that this is being proposed to deal with that particular scenario. Other dangerous NEOs would presumably be discovered in enough time that there would be more options available. Still though it seems like the better investment of time and money is a space based telescope to identify and track those NEOs not visible from Earth. That would greatly reduce the number of surprises discovered at the last minute and reduce the need for this proposal while allowing for more flexibility in how to deal with the threat. However I wouldn't expect a defense contractor to be pitching a telescope.
NASA has a couple telescopes donated from Dod in storage.
NASA plans to use one of them for WFIRST, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope.
Over the last few years robotic observatories have discovered a number of rocks a few days or hours before they impact Earth. They have thankfully been quite small. So it is interesting that this is being proposed to deal with that particular scenario. Other dangerous NEOs would presumably be discovered in enough time that there would be more options available. Still though it seems like the better investment of time and money is a space based telescope to identify and track those NEOs not visible from Earth. That would greatly reduce the number of surprises discovered at the last minute and reduce the need for this proposal while allowing for more flexibility in how to deal with the threat. However I wouldn't expect a defense contractor to be pitching a telescope.
NASA has a couple telescopes donated from Dod in storage.
NASA plans to use one of them for WFIRST, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope.
The NEOCam proposal was chosen as a finalist in the latest round of potential Discover missions. A large telescope isn't really needed for that type of telescope so there isn't the need to use the other large mirror NASA got. A NEOCam type of mission is something that the Russian aerospace industry might be able to do. Many of the same technologies they developed for the Spektr-R could be used again. The sensor itself may be tricky to make domestically but they could partner with other countries to get that.
However the proposal to modify an ICBM to nuke an asteroid came from a defense contractor, the Kakeyev Rocket Design Bureau. There is the old saying that when you have a hammer in your hand everything looks like a nail.
Over the last few years robotic observatories have discovered a number of rocks a few days or hours before they impact Earth. They have thankfully been quite small. So it is interesting that this is being proposed to deal with that particular scenario. Other dangerous NEOs would presumably be discovered in enough time that there would be more options available. Still though it seems like the better investment of time and money is a space based telescope to identify and track those NEOs not visible from Earth. That would greatly reduce the number of surprises discovered at the last minute and reduce the need for this proposal while allowing for more flexibility in how to deal with the threat. However I wouldn't expect a defense contractor to be pitching a telescope.
The B612 Foundation has been trying to get their Sentinel asteroid-detecting telescope funded for many years.
The frustrating thing is that most people don't think it's enough of an issue to put money into.
The general rule is that any news story from the general media that has the words "A Russian scientist said .... " and it is about future plans, well you are wasting your time reading that one.
The general rule is that any news story from the general media that has the words "A Russian scientist said .... " and it is about future plans, well you are wasting your time reading that one.
This has been true more times than I care to count.
The general rule is that any news story from the general media that has the words "A Russian scientist said .... " and it is about future plans, well you are wasting your time reading that one.
This has been true more times than I care to count.
true, but nukes for use in space does seem to be news worthy?