Quote:
Originally posted by 911pcars
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.
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Where to begin?
The Shuttle is only capable of low earth orbit. Once it gets to low earth orbit, it has only enough fuel for re-entry. To accomplish what would need to be done, you don't need much of a push, the farther away you start. But you need to start multiple million miles away to use a push to get it to miss. It all depends on the size of the Asteroid or comet.