The orbits of asteroids that impact earth and groundbased detection strategies
The danger of impacts by Earth-crossing asteroids (ECAs). Asteroids 60 meters in diameter and larger can destroy large cities by airblast, by 200 meters in diameter they produce substantial regional impact damage as well as tsunami that can devastate the shore lines of entire ocean basins and by 1 km in diameter they made. in addition, perturb the atmosphere enough to produce global mass extinctions. In this paper we examine strategies for detecting ECAs that may hit Earth within the next few years. We wish to detect asteroids down to 60 meters in diameter in sufficient time to allow them to be deflected or destroyed before Earth impact. A week is sufficient warning to allow a single rocket equipped with a nuclear explosive (using existing rocket boosters and nuclear explosives) to deflect from Earth impact an asteroid with a diameter up to 1--2 km if such a rocket were on standby for this purpose. To deflect a larger asteroid requires a lead time of months to years even if rockets to deflect it were on standby.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 211555
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR--95-3997; CONF-9505266--4; ON: DE96005506
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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