Incoming Asteroid!

Incoming Asteroid! PDF Author: Duncan Lunan
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461487498
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 399

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Book Description
‘Incoming Asteroid!’ is based on a project within ASTRA (the Association in Scotland to Research into Astronautics) to provide scientific answers to the question – what would we do if we knew there was going to be an asteroid impact in ten years’ time or less? Clearly there are many things humanity can do nothing about, for example an unseen object traveling towards us so fast that we have no time to prepare, or an object so large it may be unstoppable. A realistic hazard model was decided upon, and the scenario developed from that: an incoming object about 1 kilometer in diameter, in an orbit ranging from the outer rim of the Asteroid Belt to within that of Earth’s. Three basic possibilities are considered in this book. The first is the deflection of the asteroid, using remote probes along with a number of possible technologies to change the asteroid’s course. Second is the attempt of a manned mission, in order to plant a propulsion system on the asteroid to push it into a different orbit. Third is the nuclear option, a last-ditch attempt to break up and then disperse the asteroid using nuclear weapons. (A rather impractical combination of these second and third options were used as the plot of the popular 1998 Bruce Willis feature film, Armageddon.) Although the cost of developing the technology needed to protect the Earth would be substantial, there would certainly be spin-off benefits. These could eventually result in practical small-scale atomic energy sources, new propulsion systems that could make extraterrestrial mining within the solar system a possibility, and other as-yet unforeseen benefits. And finally, Incoming Asteroid! considers the political implications - how governments across the world should best react to the threat with a view to minimizing loss of life, and in the weeks running up to the possible impact, preventing panic in the population.

Incoming Asteroid!

Incoming Asteroid! PDF Author: Duncan Lunan
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461487498
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 399

Get Book Here

Book Description
‘Incoming Asteroid!’ is based on a project within ASTRA (the Association in Scotland to Research into Astronautics) to provide scientific answers to the question – what would we do if we knew there was going to be an asteroid impact in ten years’ time or less? Clearly there are many things humanity can do nothing about, for example an unseen object traveling towards us so fast that we have no time to prepare, or an object so large it may be unstoppable. A realistic hazard model was decided upon, and the scenario developed from that: an incoming object about 1 kilometer in diameter, in an orbit ranging from the outer rim of the Asteroid Belt to within that of Earth’s. Three basic possibilities are considered in this book. The first is the deflection of the asteroid, using remote probes along with a number of possible technologies to change the asteroid’s course. Second is the attempt of a manned mission, in order to plant a propulsion system on the asteroid to push it into a different orbit. Third is the nuclear option, a last-ditch attempt to break up and then disperse the asteroid using nuclear weapons. (A rather impractical combination of these second and third options were used as the plot of the popular 1998 Bruce Willis feature film, Armageddon.) Although the cost of developing the technology needed to protect the Earth would be substantial, there would certainly be spin-off benefits. These could eventually result in practical small-scale atomic energy sources, new propulsion systems that could make extraterrestrial mining within the solar system a possibility, and other as-yet unforeseen benefits. And finally, Incoming Asteroid! considers the political implications - how governments across the world should best react to the threat with a view to minimizing loss of life, and in the weeks running up to the possible impact, preventing panic in the population.

Asteroids

Asteroids PDF Author: Viorel Badescu
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 364239244X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 710

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Book Description
The Earth has limited material and energy resources while these resources in space are virtually unlimited. Further development of humanity will require going beyond our planet and exploring of extraterrestrial resources and sources of unlimited power. Thus far, all missions to asteroids have been motivated by scientific exploration. However, given recent advancements in various space technologies, mining asteroids for resources is becoming ever more feasible. A significant portion of asteroids value is derived from their location; the required resources do not need to be lifted at a great expense from the surface of the Earth. Resources derived from Asteroid not only can be brought back to Earth but could also be used to sustain human exploration of space and permanent settlements in space. This book investigates asteroids' prospective energy and material resources. It is a collection of topics related to asteroid exploration, and utilization. It presents past and future technologies and solutions to old problems that could become reality in our life time. The book therefore is a great source of condensed information for specialists involved in current and impending asteroid-related activities and a good starting point for space researchers, inventors, technologists and potential investors. Written for researchers, engineers, and businessmen interested in asteroids' exploration and exploitation. Keywords: Asteroids, Asteroid exploration, Asteroid exploitation, Energy sources, Space Resources, Material Resources, In-Situ Resource Utilization, Mining

Asteroids

Asteroids PDF Author: Martin Elvis
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 030023192X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 310

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Book Description
A unique, wide-ranging examination of asteroid exploration and our future in space Human travel into space is an enormously expensive and unforgiving endeavor. So why go? In this accessible and authoritative book, astrophysicist Martin Elvis argues that the answer is asteroid exploration, for the strong motives of love, fear, and greed. Elvis's personal motivation is one of scientific love--asteroid investigations may teach us about the composition of the solar system and the origins of life. A more compelling reason may be fear--of a dinosaur killer-sized asteroid hitting our planet. Finally, Elvis maintains, we should consider greed: asteroids likely hold vast riches, such as large platinum deposits, and mining them could provide both a new industry and a funding source for bolder space exploration. Elvis explains how each motive can be satisfied, and how they help one another. From the origins of life, to "space billiards," and space sports, Elvis looks at how asteroids may be used in the not-so-distant future.

Asteroids

Asteroids PDF Author: Curtis Peebles
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
ISBN: 1944466045
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
Asteroids suggest images of a catastrophic impact with Earth, triggering infernos, tidal waves, famine, and death -- but these scenarios have obscured the larger story of how asteroids have been discovered and studied. During the past two centuries, the quest for knowledge about asteroids has involved eminent scientists and amateur astronomers, patient research and sudden intuition, advanced technology and the simplest of telescopes, newspaper headlines and Cold War secrets. Today, researchers have named and identified the mineral composition of these objects. They range in size from 33 feet to 580 miles wide and most are found in a belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Covering all aspects of asteroid investigation, Curtis Peebles shows how ideas about the orbiting boulders have evolved. He describes how such phenomena as the Moon's craters and dinosaur extinction were gradually, and by some scientists grudgingly, accepted as the results of asteroid impacts. He tells how a band of icy asteroids rimming the solar system, first proposed as a theory in the 1940s, was ignored for more than forty years until renewed interest and technological breakthroughs confirmed the existence of the Kuiper Belt. Peebles also chronicles the discovery of Shoemaker-Levy 9, a comet with twenty-two nuclei that crashed into Jupiter in 1994, releasing many times the energy of the world's nuclear arsenal. Showing how asteroid research is increasingly collaborative, the book provides insights into the evolution of scientific ideas and the ebb and flow of scientific debate.

The Wormwood Prophecy

The Wormwood Prophecy PDF Author: Thomas Horn
Publisher: Frontline
ISBN: 1629997552
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
"Is the star from Revelation 8 already headed toward Earth? What's more, do government officials already know the answer to that question? Traditional scholarly interpretation claims that the Wormwood star will be an asteroid. Others postulate that it will poison one-third of all of Earth's waters--and we may not even notice it! Others believe the star could hit without returning, like an angel of God appearing in the sky with fire and light, bringing judgement in an instant. Do prophecies from ancient cultures and religions across the globe point to this catastrophe? Have scientists and politicians taken extreme measures to keep this under the public radar? Is this why President Donald Trump sanctioned a colossal increase to planetary defense? Follow Thomas Horn as he blazes through these questions and many others, posing answers that few in the church today are willing to provide"--Back cover.

Asteroid Hunters

Asteroid Hunters PDF Author: Carrie Nugent
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501120085
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
One of the top scientists in the field of asteroid hunting explains how, for the first time, humanity could have the knowledge to prevent a devastating asteroid impact. --

The Threat of Large Earth-orbit Crossing Asteroids

The Threat of Large Earth-orbit Crossing Asteroids PDF Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Subcommittee on Space
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description


Defending Planet Earth

Defending Planet Earth PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309149681
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
The United States spends approximately $4 million each year searching for near-Earth objects (NEOs). The objective is to detect those that may collide with Earth. The majority of this funding supports the operation of several observatories that scan the sky searching for NEOs. This, however, is insufficient in detecting the majority of NEOs that may present a tangible threat to humanity. A significantly smaller amount of funding supports ways to protect the Earth from such a potential collision or "mitigation." In 2005, a Congressional mandate called for NASA to detect 90 percent of NEOs with diameters of 140 meters of greater by 2020. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies identifies the need for detection of objects as small as 30 to 50 meters as these can be highly destructive. The book explores four main types of mitigation including civil defense, "slow push" or "pull" methods, kinetic impactors and nuclear explosions. It also asserts that responding effectively to hazards posed by NEOs requires national and international cooperation. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies is a useful guide for scientists, astronomers, policy makers and engineers.

Doomsday Asteroid

Doomsday Asteroid PDF Author: Donald W. Cox
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615928634
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
Maps of The locations of asteroid craters on the earth on endpapers.

The Asteroid Apocalypse

The Asteroid Apocalypse PDF Author: Rajeev Raghuram
Publisher: FriesenPress
ISBN: 1039107435
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 69

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Book Description
We all know what happened to the dinosaurs. Unable to do anything but observe, they watched as an asteroid hurled itself into Earth’s atmosphere and experienced the ramifications of the asteroid’s impact on the planet. Factors such as mass, velocity, type, and trajectory resulted in the extinction of seventy percent of life on Earth. Millions of years later, are we prepared for our battle against this same opponent? The Asteroid Apocalypse is an educational, nonfiction account of the asteroid threat to life on Earth. Detailing the latest science and technologies, The Asteroid Apocalypse guides readers through simulations and space missions that study the asteroid threat. Author Rajeev Raghuram provides readers with the historical context and accessible data to create a holistic understanding of the many potential threats Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs) pose to Earth, as well as how scientists and astronomers around the world prepare to respond to these possible threats. Young readers and aspiring space engineers, astronomers, and scientists everywhere will enjoy this introduction into the world of space rocks swirling around our planet and how we can work to ensure a fate different to that of the dinosaurs.