Asteroid and Nasa spacecraft

bad2thebone

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63006717

How fast does an asteroid go, and how slow is the NASA spacecraft ?

I reckon that the astroid goes on average 20km plus per second.

I'm trying to do the maths and figure out how the man made space craft is going to hit something at that speed and hopefully knock knock it off course.

Or will they hit it at all, surly they are looking for a needle in a haystack.

Gregor Samsa

I'm trying to do the maths and figure out how the man made space craft is going to hit something at that speed and hopefully knock knock it off course.

Throw your equations up here, with an X for the speed of the asteroid and Y for the speed of the spacecraft, and we'll take a gander. They're clearly the only two bits you're missing, so you did the right thing in coming to After Hours to fill them in for this literal, real-world example of rocket science. I'm actually surprised NASA, Space X, the ESA and those other lads in China don't come here more often looking for our advice on these matters.

PokeHerKing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058264929/asteroid-and-nasa-spacecraft

Well look I think you've covered all bases apart from the math, which isnt that important to this discussion.

bad2thebone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665667#Comment_119665667

I don't know of any space craft that can be strong enough to offset the trajectory of said asteroid. At the speed of the asteroid,it would obliterate anything sent to change the direction.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665841#Comment_119665841

Fortunately NASA isn't hindered by your lack of knowledge on these matters.

5uspect

Here's NASA's workings, can you show yours?

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Ozimek/publication/313888405_NASA_Double_Asteroid_Redirection_Test_DART_Low-Thrust_Trajectory_Concept/links/58adae14aca2725b540dd46f/NASA-Double-Asteroid-Redirection-Test-DART-Low-Thrust-Trajectory-Concept.pdf

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20170001428/downloads/20170001428.pdf

bad2thebone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665859#Comment_119665859

I just find it fascinating.

SEPT 23 1989

whatever is inside that asteroid will awaken and kill us all

bad2thebone

It's an egg and they're trying to stop it before it hatches into a fire breathing griffin lol

bad2thebone

Found it

https://youtu.be/OrrTJHZNolg

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666053#Comment_119666053

So now you have the speed of the NASA space craft post up your workings and someone will check them for you.

bad2thebone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666094#Comment_119666094

I didn't realize that the asteroid was so close. I thought it was way out. I was posting metaphorically rather than saying that I have the calculations.

My mistake.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666421#Comment_119666421

you know how some people use the phrase "rocket science" to describe something that is difficult? well rocket science isn't terribly difficult. It is rocket engineering that is difficult.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666441#Comment_119666441

Back in the day Rocket Science was difficult because there were so many unknowns (no one knew aluminium oxide wasn't a gas and thus useless as a propellent) and because there were no computers so LOTS of calculus.

Nowadays rocket engineering is only as difficult as you make it. If your priority is the mission just use flight proven kit. If your priority is to milk the customer then go for a new launcher or take the low risk approach of modifying an existing one.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119665841#Comment_119665841

At 3Km/s any object has the same energy density as TNT. This will hit at 6Km/s so the energy will be four time's it's mass as TNT.

They could transfer twice as much momentum if the object could bounce back, but that would require a 12Km/s change in velocity over a very short distance. Instead there will be a crater.

The target is orbiting a larger asteroid. So the orbit will be changed slightly and that's very easy to measure using a stopwatch.

bad2thebone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666611#Comment_119666611

So they'll figure out how far out they push the asteroids orbit. And then it'll tell them if it's going to work on a bigger scale.

I'm very much a lay person where these experimental probabilities are concerned.

Thanks

AllForIt

In these troubled times with the cost of living crisis and the Ukraine war it is reassuring to know that someone is tackling the problem of the possibility of civilization being wiped out by an asteroid. Just takes away that edge.

buried

Smashing a missile into an asteroid isn't a very good idea. You could end up turning one asteroid into possibly hundreds of asteroids. Then you'll be sending up rockets all night.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119667607#Comment_119667607

2 things. This craft won't have the energy to smash the asteroid into hundreds of asteroids. It is nowhere near us nor on a trajectory that goes near us so even if it did happen there would be no repercussions for us.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

This reminds me of that film “Armageddon,” and it’s pornographic parody “Deep Impact.”

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119667628#Comment_119667628

I wouldn't take the risk of smashing anything into it myself. If its nowhere near a trajectory that effects us, a better idea would be to send up some rovers that could paint the thing, change the trajectory by altering the colour of the object, let the Sun do the rest. If that doesn't work, then let loose the missiles.

Montage of Feck

Giving everything that's gone on in recent times that asteroid is actually on a collision course for earth, but they don't want to cause mass panic so are passing it off as a test.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119667650#Comment_119667650

Or the asteroid is carrying COVID23?

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119667650#Comment_119667650

That is a very plausible take. No wonder Jeff Bezos and the boys are so determined to get the hell out of here.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666441#Comment_119666441

I always like the "solar system highway" that we have, i.e. we always have the optimum route to take from object A to B and also know when to leave to reduce travel time.

But yes, travel fast enough and you can move (or destroy) pretty much anything you hit in a measurable way:

Relativistic Baseball (xkcd.com)

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119667643#Comment_119667643

good job you're not in charge of NASA. It is a good test of the real world challenges that may face us in the future. Much better to practice now on something that wont present a danger if we get it wrong.

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119668142#Comment_119668142

Good job you're not in charge of a sense of humour man, or maybe it isn't judging the state of things in this forum lately

Quantum Erasure

What happens if it has no noticable effect?

dxhound2005

No one will notice.

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119668182#Comment_119668182

Realistically, it would mean that the asteroid is made up of denser materials than we expected (provided the collision goes to plan) and that any future asteroid redirect missions would need to be adjusted accordingly (if even possible with our currently technology levels, i.e. ability to get lots of mass into space, sped up and directed at another object).

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666684#Comment_119666684

The F35 fighter jet project will cost trillions. It's only use is as a weapon of war and getting congressmen re-elected.

On top of this half of NASA's budget goes to the likes of Boeing for old rope so they can compete with Airbus. The SLS rocket that has been delayed yet again costs billions and is quite literally made from old stuff rescued from the back of the warehouse.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) project cost $324.5 million. $308 million was spent on spacecraft development, $68.8 million for launch services, and $16.5 million is expected to spent on operations and data analysis. Not cheap but the potential upside is huge.

The universe is probably littered with the one-planet graves of cultures which made the sensible economic decision that there's no good reason to go into space--each discovered, studied, and remembered by the ones who made the irrational decision. https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/893:_65_Years

AllForIt

^^

The universe is probably littered with the one-planet graves of cultures which made the sensible economic decision that there's no good reason to go into space--each discovered, studied, and remembered by the ones who made the irrational decision. https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/893:_65_Years

Whenever there's anything in the news about some space project my mum always says 'tut tut tut...goin up into space and all the people starvin in the world'. Every. Single. Time.

bad2thebone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119669078#Comment_119669078

I'snt that the truth of it. Probably an unpopular opinion according to some. But I agree with her.

I've read that they probably know more about space than the oceans and what's beneath the earth or in the jungles.

When I was younger I wouldn't have agreed and thought it was the right thing to do, spending billions on space research.

Didn't some scientist say we're better off not sending out greetings, just in case we're found by a malevolent lifeform or life forms.

xxxxxxl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119669172#Comment_119669172

More than just escape research. Space mining colonisation. biggest strides will come once were out and about. Necessity is the mother of invention. We will invent the tech to supply the necessities. Food, Shelter, water. Outside that we will invent once were up. The interesting stuff will kick off a few generations after that. Being that far away are you going to be loyal to a government on earth or break away.

bad2thebone

I won't have a choice, as I'll probably be dead.

But sometimes breaking away sounds like fun, I have lucid dreams about different landscapes. The best one is where the sun light is like bright moonlight, and the sky is black. I can see the star's and there's a clear deep lake with big piano keys underneath. Strange I know. But sure I get to walk across the keys and walk up the mountain and it ends. Disappointing I know:)

erlichbachman

From what Ive seen on TV asteroids are made of similar compound to chalk so we should be grand

Markus Antonius

I can't believe people are actually swallowing all this 🤣

Honest to god sometimes you have to wonder if they are just testing how far they can go with their preposterousness..

ohnonotgmail

I was wondering when our resident space 'expert' would put in an appearance.

bad2thebone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670133#Comment_119670133

You can chalk that one down lol

erlichbachman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670306#Comment_119670306

Is not all that far fetched, though is it the right thing to do start messing around with the natural flow of space, I mean what if we are successful and redirect the rock toward some other peaceful planet that has been minding its own business for the last million years, then they realise it was us who veered the danger toward them and they then attack us, though this could also be a good thing because we could make Putin the commander in chief of earth and send him up to fight them, they then kill him and are satisfied so they leave.

A lot to think about there, some positives and negatives

bad2thebone

Well you know what they say about butterflies.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670342#Comment_119670342

You know when a baby gets your car keys, and you find a toy to do a trade? This is literally what NASA are doing. Yet another nonsense "mission" to distract people from the fact that we STILL have not been to the moon.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670514#Comment_119670514

wait, so you think they did crash into an asteroid?

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666441#Comment_119666441

Not sure if you are being serious (hard to tell in this thread) but rocket science and rocket engineering are synonyms. Both equally difficult. Both obsolete terms.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670514#Comment_119670514

Also not sure if you're serious.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119669172#Comment_119669172

I've read that they probably know more about space than the oceans and what's beneath the earth or in the jungles.

https://www.newsweek.com/scientists-find-water-environment-over-400-miles-beneath-earths-surface-1746254

😁

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670536#Comment_119670536

It's best not to feed them, you'll get a bit of scoffing and then running away before explaining any of their theories.

In other space news, there will be a new satellite that can be seen easily from earth so the motto will have to be "don't look up" soon.

Bright New Satellites Join a Crowded Sky — Here’s How You Can Help - Sky & Telescope - Sky & Telescope (skyandtelescope.org)

bad2thebone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119673455#Comment_119673455

Had a flat earther tell me the other day that oils not dead giant reptiles and vegetation that was produced after them all rotting away.

He said how the fck could all the dinosaurs congregate together and say, alright lads this is it. Let's die here and we'll turn into oils and plastic's. He reckons it's produced another way and there's unlimited amounts of the stuff.

I didn't know whether to laugh or say, but trust the science. I am still wondering .

Then some guy sent me this...

IMG-20220927-WA0004.jpg

And I was stuck for words lol

kowloon

Trains are very fast,

I am not

∴ I need not fear impact with a train.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen for inviting me to give this year's Royal Institute Christmas lecture.

bad2thebone

Better off picking a side;)

Asdfgh2020

I wonder could NASA develop a rocket/probe that could be sent to moscow and collide and enter putin’s rear and pulverise/blow him to pieces….Moscow is much closer than 17million miles away and they would be doing mankind such a big favour…?

AMKC

It's such a pity that NASA did not send up a separate probe with the one that crashed into the Asteroid to film it as it was happening. I for one woukd have loved to have seen it actually happen but hey maybe some alien race recorded it for us so they will have it many centuries from now when we finally become a space fairing race.