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Europe Sets Next Phase In Asteroid Deflection Project
Paris (AFP) Apr 05, 2006 The European Space Agency (ESA) said it had shortlisted three European consortia to submit proposals for its Don Quijote project, which seeks to deflect any future asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The teams are respectively led by Alcatel Alenia Space, Qinetiq of Britain and EADS Astrium, each of which has long experience in European space projects, ESA said in a press release on Monday. ESA, helped by an independent panel of experts, will assess their submissions in October, and the outcome will be made public in 2007. The Don Quijote mission will comprise two spacecraft. One of them, called Hidalgo, will smash into the asteroid at relatively high speed, while a second one, Sancho, will arrive earlier at the same asteroid to measure the variation on the asteroid's orbital parameters after the impact. The risk of an asteroid collision with Earth is extremely remote. But if such an event were to occur, and the rock were big, the immediate devastation could be continent-wide and there could be lasting changes to the planet's weather system. The long reign of the dinosaurs is believed to have come to an abrupt end 65 million years ago when an asteroid or comet smashed into modern-day Mexico. The collision kicked up so much dust that heat and light from the Sun were diminished, destroying much of Earth's vegetation and the larger species of land animals that depended on it. Deflection is considered a safer bet than blowing up a dangerous asteroid with nuclear bombs. An explosion would break the asteroid into chunks, with the risk these pieces could hit Earth in turn.
Source: Agence France-Presse Related Links the missing link
Cometary String Of Pearls To Swing Past Earth In May
Pasadena CA (SPX) Mar 27, 2006Starting on May 12, Earth-based sky watchers will be treated to the unusual sight of a string of cometary fragments sweeping across the night. The fragments belong to Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, which fell apart in 1995. |
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