23 Oct You watched Bruce Willis saving the world, but NASA has something better!
Large lump of rocks, metal and gas is hurtling towards Earth and main “bad guy” is an asteroid- sounds like some familiar Hollywood script. Famous Hollywood actor Bruce Willis saved us once already from this danger in a movie called Armageddon, but this time NASA stole the show.
Asteroids are not some imaginary threat that is present on the big movie screen. In order for an asteroid to inflict damage, its diameter needs to be around 1,5km. However, if we want to evade dinosaur’s scenario and avoid total annihilation, every rock that is more than 50 km wide is civilization killer.
United States agency that is studying space and its mysteries, NASA, recognized this danger. Month of October marks the start of a new trial period for NASA’s innovative approach towards avoiding real Armageddon. Unfortunately, this innovative technology does not involves any explosions, so action lovers will be disappointed, however something more interesting is in store.
New NASA pilot project called ARM (Asteroid Redirect Mission), aims to launch a spacecraft on the asteroid surface. After spacecraft makes its landing, further tasks will be handled by a robot. The robot itself has 2 mission objectives 1) to gather asteroid surface material and 2) together with the spacecraft change asteroids gravitational field just enough to change its course.
ARM Demonstration
Maiden flight is planned for October, and designated target is an asteroid called 2012 TC4′.
During this test flight, NASA will try to gather as much data as possible and by doing so, test new technology.
For all of you still worried about this new technology, you can rely on foolproof system called mathematics. Center for Near Earth Object Studies and its experts claim that the chances are more than slim for actual collision threat. For example, recently a story surfaced in media regarding one asteroid called Apophis. The aforementioned asteroid is not a „pebble“ by any stretch of the imagination, however, it is big enough to damage area it hits. On the other hand we need to warn you, that you have greater chance winning a lottery than to see this asteroid hitting earth’s surface, 1:100.000 to be exact.
Sleep tight!