Blast Designs for NEO Destruction and Deflection

Abstract

Large-scale blasting techniques developed for terrestrial construction and mining could, if applied to a threatening NEO, ensure its transformation into fragments too small ( < 50 meters across) to survive passage through Earth's atmosphere. Additionally, this approach could impart impulses to deflect the NEO. This approach would also be responsive to ongoing characterization of the NEO. Four NEOs were selected to illustrate the range of blast design and mitigation outcomes possible: Asteroids Itokawa, 1986 DA, and Eros, and comet Wild2. This paper addresses the overall concept for operations and discusses key features of the approach that are normally outside the realm of aerospace engineering.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Second Department

Mining Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

NEO; Blasting Techniques; Deflection; Destruction; Near-Earth Objects

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2007 Aerospace Press, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2007

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