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Someone tell me if I've been smoking the wrong (or right) stuff.
I half overheard on NPR of a scientist who was credited with the "simple" solution to this potential scenario.
His claim was that the space shuttle or equivalent could rendevouz with said asteroid/comet and position itself thusly. With thrust rockets or whatever to position the shuttle ass-facing the rock, allow the gravitational pull of the mass to pull it downward. At the correct moment, engine(s) fire. The forward thrust is throttled just enough to offset the gravitational pull. The result is the shuttle will then accelerate just fast enough to balance the gravitational pull and tow the comet in whatever direction the shuttle wants to travel. All it would take is a minute change in course at some gazillion mile distance to offset the original course.
Who needs Bruce Willis and his cowboy crew now?
So what do the forum scientists and Howard Johnson residents think of this? Doable or do we just nuke the hell out of whatever moves our way in outer space?
Sherwood
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