Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




DEEP IMPACT
Russia mulls beacons and the bomb to thwart asteroids
by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) March 12, 2013


Russian officials on Tuesday proposed ideas ranging from planting beacon transmitters on asteroids to megaton-sized nuclear strikes to avert the threat from meteor collisions with the Earth.

Saving the world from asteroid strikes has moved out of the realm of science fiction in Russia into a political reality after a spectacular meteor explosion injured over 1,500 people in the Russian Urals in February.

The meteor strike over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk raised fears of what could happen if an even larger space body entered the earths atmosphere above an inhabited area.

Russian space agency chief Vladimir Popovkin told a special conference at the Federation Council, the Russian upper house, that Russia was closely following the asteroid Apophis that is due to come close to the Earth in 2036.

"We want to put a beacon on the asteroid Apophis to ascertain its exact orbit and work out what further actions to take with respect to the asteroids approach to the Earth in 2036," he said quoted by Russian news agencies.

NASA has already said that according to its calculations there is no danger of the asteroid colliding with the Earth.

Popovkin said that an initial state plan to combat threats from space could appear in Russia at the end of 2013 but the first real measures would only be adopted no earlier than 2018-2020.

He did not give details on the cost of the programme, although Russian news agencies said previous estimates had been around 58 billion rubles ($1.9 billion).

A senior official from Russias nuclear agency Rosatom told the same conference that taking out an asteroid with a nuclear weapon would require a bomb with a force of at least one megaton.

"Intercepting an asteroid of a span of more than one kilometre would need the use of nuclear material of the power of over a megaton," said Oleg Shubin, the deputy director of the department of nuclear munitions experiments at Rosatom.

"This is a separate scientific task that needs to be solved," he added

Shubin said that it could not be predicted well in advance when some 50 percent of asteroids and meteors in the tails of comets would be on a collision course with the earth.

He said while the probability of an asteroid collision was low it could still happen at any time.

"In the foreseeable future I cannot see any other danger that would lead - at the very least - to the disintegration of human civilisation," Shubin said.

.


Related Links
Asteroid and Comet Impact Danger To Earth - News and Science






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








DEEP IMPACT
Paintballs to deflect killer-asteroids
Moscow (Voice of Russia) Mar 07, 2013
In the wake of last month's meteorite explosion in Russia's Chelyabinsk, it has become increasingly clear that, if humanity is not to follow the dinosaurs into oblivion, it has to find a way to deflect killer-asteroids from hitting the Earth. As international space agencies continue their quest to find for the most effective threat-reduction methods, the Voice of Russia reviews the more unusual ... read more


DEEP IMPACT
Lunar impacts created seas of molten rock

China to use modified rocket for moon landing mission

Water On The Moon: It's Been There All Along

Building a lunar base with 3D printing

DEEP IMPACT
Maryland explores adaptations strategies for survival on Mars

NASA rover finds conditions once suited to life on Mars

Curiosity Rover's Recovery Moving Forward

NASA Rover Finds Conditions Once Suited for Ancient Life on Mars

DEEP IMPACT
Technology to detect Alzheimer's takes SXSW prize

Basketball legend Shaq talks tech at SXSW

UK and Kazakhstan agree collaboration in space

Wyle To Provide NASA Ongoing Support For Human Space Flight

DEEP IMPACT
China's fourth space launch center to be in use in two years

China to launch new manned spacecraft

Woman expected again to join next China crew roster

China's space station will be energy-efficient

DEEP IMPACT
'Goody Bag' Filled With Sample Processing Supplies Arrives on Station

ESA's Columbus Biolab Facility

SpaceX set for third mission to space station

Record Number of Students Control ISS Camera

DEEP IMPACT
Grasshopper Successfully Completes 80M Hover Slam

Musk: 'I'd like to die on Mars'

Ariane 5 vehicle for next ATV resupply mission in Kourou

Vega launcher integration continues for its April mission

DEEP IMPACT
Astronomers Conduct First Remote Reconnaissance of Another Solar System

The Birth of a Giant Planet?

Scientists spot birth of giant planet

NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Tiny Planet System

DEEP IMPACT
Aspirin may lower melanoma risk

NIST quantum refrigerator offers extreme cooling and convenience

Researchers Solve Riddle of What Has Been Holding Two Unlikely Materials Together

Star-shaped waves spotted in shaken fluid




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement