Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511525049

It is known that large asteroids and comets can collide with the Earth with severe consequences. Although the chances of a collision in a person's lifetime are small, collisions are a random process and could occur at any time. This book, which was first published in 2004, collects the latest thoughts and ideas of scientists concerned with mitigating the threat of hazardous asteroids and comets. It reviews knowledge of the population of potential colliders, including their numbers, locations, orbits, and how warning times might be improved. The structural properties and composition of their interiors and surfaces are reviewed, and their orbital response to the application of pulses of energy is discussed. Difficulties of operating in space near, or on the surface of, very low mass objects are examined. The book concludes with a discussion of the problems faced in communicating the nature of the impact hazard to the public.

"The book is an excellent compendium of current knowledge of near-Earth objects." EOS-Transactions, AGU

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv
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Contents
pp v-vi
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List of contributors
pp vii-x
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Preface
pp xi-xii
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Acknowledgments
pp xiii-xiii
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Glossary
pp xiv-xxii
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1 - Recent progress in interpreting the nature of the near-Earth object population
pp 1-21
- By William F. Bottke, Jr., Southwest Research Institute, Alessandro Morbidelli, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Robert Jedicke, University of Hawai'i
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2 - Earth impactors: orbital characteristics and warning times
pp 22-37
- By Steven R. Chesley, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Timothy B. Spahr, Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA
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3 - The role of radar in predicting and preventing asteroid and comet collisions with Earth
pp 38-65
- By Steven J. Ostro, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Jon D. Giorgini, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
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4 - Interior structures for asteroids and cometary nuclei
pp 66-103
- By Erik Asphaug, University of California, Santa Cruz
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5 - What we know and don't know about surfaces of potentially hazardous small bodies
pp 104-112
- By Clark R. Chapman, Southwest Research Institute
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6 - About deflecting asteroids and comets
pp 113-140
- By Keith A. Holsapple, University of Washington
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7 - Scientific requirements for understanding the near-Earth asteroid population
pp 141-152
- By Alan W. Harris, DLR Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin
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8 - Physical properties of comets and asteroids inferred from fireball observations
pp 153-166
- By Mario Di Martino, INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, Alberto Cellino, INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino
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9 - Mitigation technologies and their requirements
pp 167-200
- By Christian Gritzner, Dresden University of Technology, Institute for Aerospace Engineering, Ralph Kahle, DLR Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin
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10 - Peering inside near-Earth objects with radio tomography
pp 201-233
- By W. Kofman, Laboratoire de Planétologie, Grenoble, A. Safaeinili, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
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11 - Seismological investigation of asteroid and comet interiors
pp 234-265
- By James D. Walker, Southwest Research Institute, Walter F. Huebner, Southwest Research Institute
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12 - Lander and penetrator science for near-Earth object mitigation studies
pp 266-291
- By A. J. Ball, The Open University, Milton Keynes, P. Lognonné, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, K. Seiferlin, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, M. Pätzold, Universität zu Köln, T. Spohn, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
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13 - Optimal interception and deflection of Earth-approaching asteroids using low-thrust electric propulsion
pp 292-312
- By Bruce A. Conway, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
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14 - Close proximity operations at small bodies: orbiting, hovering, and hopping
pp 313-336
- By Daniel J. Scheeres, University of Michigan
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15 - Mission operations in low-gravity regolith and dust
pp 337-352
- By Derek Sears, University of Arkansas, Melissa Franzen, Shauntae Moore, Shawn Nichols, Mikhail Kareev, Paul Benoit
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16 - Impacts and the public: communicating the nature of the impact hazard
pp 353-390
- By David Morrison, NASA Ames Research Center, Clark R. Chapman, Southwest Research Institute, Duncan Steel, University of Salford, Richard P. Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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17 - Towards a national program to remove the threat of hazardous NEOs
pp 391-410
- By Michael J. S. Belton, Belton Space Exploration Initiatives, LLC
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Index
pp 411-414
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Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Contents
pp v-vi

List of contributors
pp vii-x

Preface
pp xi-xii

Acknowledgments
pp xiii-xiii

Glossary
pp xiv-xxii

1 - Recent progress in interpreting the nature of the near-Earth object population
pp 1-21

2 - Earth impactors: orbital characteristics and warning times
pp 22-37

3 - The role of radar in predicting and preventing asteroid and comet collisions with Earth
pp 38-65

4 - Interior structures for asteroids and cometary nuclei
pp 66-103

5 - What we know and don't know about surfaces of potentially hazardous small bodies
pp 104-112

6 - About deflecting asteroids and comets
pp 113-140

7 - Scientific requirements for understanding the near-Earth asteroid population
pp 141-152

8 - Physical properties of comets and asteroids inferred from fireball observations
pp 153-166

9 - Mitigation technologies and their requirements
pp 167-200

10 - Peering inside near-Earth objects with radio tomography
pp 201-233

11 - Seismological investigation of asteroid and comet interiors
pp 234-265

12 - Lander and penetrator science for near-Earth object mitigation studies
pp 266-291

13 - Optimal interception and deflection of Earth-approaching asteroids using low-thrust electric propulsion
pp 292-312

14 - Close proximity operations at small bodies: orbiting, hovering, and hopping
pp 313-336

15 - Mission operations in low-gravity regolith and dust
pp 337-352

16 - Impacts and the public: communicating the nature of the impact hazard
pp 353-390

17 - Towards a national program to remove the threat of hazardous NEOs
pp 391-410

Index
pp 411-414

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Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids

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