14 DAY TRIAL // Ever since astronomers realized the vast number of near-Earth Objects (NEO), asteroids and meteorites surrounding our planet, they started developing and proposing a number of plans that could save us from certain doom in case of an established impact. The experts argued that a number of methods could be used to change the course of such celestial bodies. Naturally, a nuclear blast was first on the table, but things have evolved since then, and now an expert is proposing using a space lasso for the job.
The new proposal was made by Major David French, who is an aerospace engineer at the Air Force Institute of Technology. The expert has conducted a large series of mathematical calculations, which showed that attaching a large weight to an Earth-bound object, via a long tether, could drastically change that object's course. The mechanism would in essence shift the space rock's center of gravity, forcing it off-course, and away from our planet. The expert provides no option for building the system.
The expert also modeled the various weights and tether lengths that would be needed for certain classes of NEO or meteorites, as well as the changes that these instruments would force in the trajectory of the objects. He reveals that the changes will occur over time, not immediately, and that astronomers need to determine if an object is on its way to hit the Earth several years in advance. Full details of French's work appear in the December issue of the respected scientific journal Acta Astronautica, Wired reports.
“This tether-deflection idea is an interesting intellectual exercise. But it is of no practical value,” NASA Ames Research Center Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards Group astronomer David Morrison, who is a critic of the new system, says. He adds that a rope such as the one proposed by French is impossible to construct, due to technological challenges and large costs. The ballast required to change the trajectory of a NEO is also well beyond existing or planned launch capabilities, in terms of weight.
“From a practical point of view, the technique is a mess,” B612 Foundation Co-founder and former Apollo astronaut Russell Schweickart adds. He shares that hooking a tether to spinning celestial objects is nearly impossible to accomplish, and says that there are no guarantees the rope will not get tangled, even if the initial hook-up is performed. “I think it’s important to take the long view and maybe dig into technology that is not quite ready,” French responds.