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Article
Distributed-Energy Blasting for NEO Destruction
NASA NEO Detection, Characterization and Mitigation Workshop
  • Leslie S. Gertsch, Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Jason Baird, Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Paul Nicholas Worsey
Abstract

Large-scale blasting techniques developed for terrestrial construction and mining could, if applied to a threatening NEO, ensure that it would be transformed into fragments too small (10-30 meters) to survive passage through Earth's atmosphere. Additionally, this approach could impart appropriate impulses to the NEO that its impact is prevented, or, if fragmented, that fewer resulting fragments would impact Earth. This approach also would be responsive to ongoing characterization of the NEO, and to its certain departures from an ideal spherical, homogeneous, continuous, linearly elastic mass.

Department(s)
Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering
Second Department
Mining Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
  • Near Earth Objects,
  • Large Scale Blasts
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2006 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
1-1-2006
Publication Date
01 Jan 2006
Citation Information
Leslie S. Gertsch, Jason Baird and Paul Nicholas Worsey. "Distributed-Energy Blasting for NEO Destruction" NASA NEO Detection, Characterization and Mitigation Workshop (2006) p. 1 - 10
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/paul-worsey/18/