NASA's First Samples Land On Earth After Release From Spacecraft.

[westwall]

Actually, asteroid Bennu has a small chance of hitting us in 159 years. Thing is, Bennu is 1600 feet across, made of loose rubble, and is affected by heat from the sun pushing it in a way that is impossible to calculate precisely, so, in 159 years, we might be way off. Bennu passes us every 6 years. The 1/2 pound soil sample landed in western Utah and is being analyzed to better understand the asteroid in the hopes of dealing with it.

Based on that description a small nuke is all that is needed. That will fracture it into smaller bits, easily dealt with by our atmosphere.

 

[Zincwarrior]

Actually, asteroid Bennu has a small chance of hitting us in 159 years. Thing is, Bennu is 1600 feet across, made of loose rubble, and is affected by heat from the sun pushing it in a way that is impossible to calculate precisely, so, in 159 years, we might be way off. Bennu passes us every 6 years. The 1/2 pound soil sample landed in western Utah and is being analyzed to better understand the asteroid in the hopes of dealing with it.

Exactly.

 

[Zincwarrior]

Lets hope these guys are as good and shooting pool in the real universe as they are on paper, at least for my great grandkids sake. I figure you and I are pretty safe from Bennu.

They did already manage to target it. I bet next they pit something up to monitor it better.

 

[fncceo]

Based on that description a small nuke is all that is needed. That will fracture it into smaller bits, easily dealt with by our atmosphere.

Actually, not always. It turns out that a lot of asteroids are conglomerations of smaller asteroids held together by mutual gravitational attraction. Hitting it with a nuke will temporarily separate the smaller asteroids but not destroy them. The shock wave from the nuke being absorbed by the separation of the parts. The constituent asteroids will eventually drift back together (as objects in space do) and if it becomes an meteor, by entering our atmosphere, the mass of that meteor will remain the same, the outer parts of the meteor acting as an ablative heat shield for the interior mass.

The total mass and velocity of the impact (if it becomes a meteorite) remains the same ... the sum of that mass = we're boned.

 

[JohnDB]

Actually, not always. It turns out that a lot of asteroids are conglomerations of smaller asteroids held together by mutual gravitational attraction. Hitting it with a nuke will temporarily separate the smaller asteroids but not destroy them. The shock wave from the nuke being absorbed by the separation of the parts. The constituent asteroids will eventually drift back together (as objects in space do) and if it becomes an meteor, by entering our atmosphere, the mass of that meteor will remain the same, the outer parts of the meteor acting as an ablative heat shield for the interior mass.

The total mass and velocity of the impact (if it becomes a meteorite) remains the same ... the sum of that mass = we're boned.

And the meteorite will have the added benefit of possibly being radioactive...whether the isotopes will remain that way or not is another unknown.

What I am curious about is if the asteroid has what we refer to as rare earth elements within it. And if we could safely mine these asteroids for use on earth.
Also...since this asteroid has been watched and analyzed carefully, are our predictive models for its composition accurate?

Lots of questions but few answers.

 

[JohnDB]

From space dot com:

NASA's OSIRIS-REx lands samples of asteroid Bennu to Earth after historic 4-billion-mile journey

"Touchdown for science!" NASA says. "We're all breathing a huge sigh of relief."

www.space.com

The successful landing and recovery of the asteroid Bennu samples marks the end of a seven-year mission that saw its share of surprises. When the spacecraft arrived at Bennu in 2018, it found an asteroid resembling more of a pile of gravel and rubble than a solid rock. Scientists with the mission then had to rethink the plan for the probe's landing, which required reprogramming the spacecraft to land in an area less than one quarter of the size of its original intended landing site.

 

[fncceo]

And if we could safely mine these asteroids for use on earth

The problem with mining asteroids is economically two-fold. First problem is the literally astronomical cost of sending mining crews out the asteroid belt. The least expensive lifting body available (Falcon Heavy) has a lift cost to Mars Transfer Orbit (the staging post for The Asteroid Belt) is $4,054 per pound. Not including any of the cost of the supplies themselves and we haven't even mentioned the cost of returning mined materials back to Earth for processing.

Second is ... let's say we find an asteroid made of solid diamond and we ship it down to Earth. What makes diamonds valuable is their rarity. Radically increase the availability of a material and the value will decrease accordingly, making the investment in mining space proportionally less attractive to investors.

This has happened before.

When Spain plundered the New World for gold, that massively increased the gold supply back in Europe and, consequently, the value of that gold plummeted, sending Europe is a century long economic recession.

 

[JohnDB]

The problem with mining asteroids is economically two-fold. First problem is the literally astronomical cost of sending mining crews out the asteroid belt. The least expensive lifting body available (Falcon Heavy) has a lift cost to Mars Transfer Orbit (the staging post for The Asteroid Belt) is $4,054 per pound. Not including any of the cost of the supplies themselves and we haven't even mentioned the cost of returning mined materials back to Earth for processing.

Second is ... let's say we find an asteroid made of solid diamond and we ship it down to Earth. What makes diamonds valuable is their rarity. Radically increase the availability of a material and the value will decrease accordingly, making the investment in mining space proportionally less attractive to investors.

This has happened before.

When Spain plundered the New World for gold, that massively increased the gold supply back in Europe and, consequently, the value of that gold plummeted, sending Europe is a century long economic recession.

I was thinking more of rare earth elements than diamonds. Diamonds these days are usually better when grown artificially than natural...(and less politically problematic). Industrial usage of elements are the goal.

But I do agree about cost. This mission to bring back a sample has a price tag of a billion dollars for the spacecraft alone. This for only a half pound (8oz) of rock.

And NASA only gets to keep 70% of the material....the other 30% is to be doled out to Canada, Japan, and elsewhere.

But this is NASA we are talking about here....never exactly good at financial efficiency. A NASA toilet seat or doorknob is the butt of a lot of jokes. Elon is still reusing his same rockets 17 times and counting.
NASA's Space shuttle program was a disaster as they had to rebuild the things completely after each touchdown....they were so rebuilt that only the name of each was recycled.

 

[fncceo]

I was thinking more of rare earth elements than diamonds.

I chose a random rare element (in this case a common element in rare form).

I could have chosen supermodels as an example of an extremely rare, desirable, and expensive commodity ... but they would suffocate in outer space.

 

[JohnDB]

I chose a random rare element (in this case a common element in rare form).

I could have chosen supermodels as an example of an extremely rare, desirable, and expensive commodity ... but they would suffocate in outer space.

View attachment 833960

Well I wasn't sure....but it could be my affinity for trading commodities clouding my perception.

The biggest issue is the cost as you say though....even if a ton of an element could be brought to earth....the cost of doing so even at Elon Musk rates is still going to make the element extremely expensive.

I don't know if pictures of attractive half naked women will ever have the value they once did. They are completely devalued anymore. There's a whole lot of women that think they can get wealthy with an OF page only to discover that the competition is too steep these days and the number of creeps and stalkers has climbed to insane numbers. And you are right...the flooding of the market has made the commodity fallen in value to the point of worthlessness. The only people making any money is the website, the camera mfgs and light mfgs.

Once upon a time the first five books of the Bible was equivalent in value to an entire years wages. (Just the first five books)
Now they give bibles away for free with all 66 books in it.

Which is why I like trading coffee and wheat. Consumables need replacing...people gotta eat.

 

[westwall]

Actually, not always. It turns out that a lot of asteroids are conglomerations of smaller asteroids held together by mutual gravitational attraction. Hitting it with a nuke will temporarily separate the smaller asteroids but not destroy them. The shock wave from the nuke being absorbed by the separation of the parts. The constituent asteroids will eventually drift back together (as objects in space do) and if it becomes an meteor, by entering our atmosphere, the mass of that meteor will remain the same, the outer parts of the meteor acting as an ablative heat shield for the interior mass.

The total mass and velocity of the impact (if it becomes a meteorite) remains the same ... the sum of that mass = we're boned.

1600 feet across isn't going to have much gravitational anything. You crack it a few days before impact and it is nothing more than a pretty meteor shower.

 

[0311]

Apparently, no one ever read "Andromeda Strain"

Actually I have a first ediion of "The Andromedia Strameda\\\\\\\\\

Apparently, no one ever read "Andromeda Strain"

My Dad bought the book and I read it in one weekend. The first movie was great, the second one sucked.

 

[toobfreak]

Based on that description a small nuke is all that is needed. That will fracture it into smaller bits, easily dealt with by our atmosphere.

Perhaps. Best to blow the stuff away into a new orbit not hazardous to the Earth (maybe falling into the Sun) and hope that few, if any bits of rubble remain big enough to make it through the atmosphere to the ground, but yes, if done right, I think a shaped nuclear charge of the right size on the right side at the right time is probably the best hope of evading Bennu if it ultimate proves on a direct course to collide with Earth.

One bonus is that Bennu's orbit is tilted to the ecliptic by 5 or 10°.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Would make a good Topic but you probably need to go back to Operation Paper Clip to look at whom the US brought over , the positions they were given and reached .
You need to add in the evidence that Germany tested two A bombs during the war and America’s need to use all the top scientists and technicians and certainly within the Manhattan project Most were ex SS .
All rather complex and detailed with huge DYOR needed . Way beyond casual chat room
Discussion and insults . Imho

Here (above), there is so much that is disingenuous and deceitful in your post, that it seems to be par for the course, in your style of argument.

You are replying to Dante commenting: "this is quite astounding" in reference to your posting of:

Have never understood why any intelligent person would believe anything said by NASA .

so I'm not sure what it is you imagine you are doing.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Why not wait a hundred years or so to first determine whether or not it will hit us?

I know, that would make too much sense. Let's waste billions of dollars on the possibility.

Flasher Gordons


Then the a$trogeeks would have to go into a useful profession. You're taking candy from a baby if you won't let them indulge in their childish Trekkie circus.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

Based on that description a small nuke is all that is needed. That will fracture it into smaller bits, easily dealt with by our atmosphere.

If it's that delicate, it seems it would break apart in the upper atmosphere.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

They hit a remote military expanse from 63,000 miles out?

Yes, we have know how to calculate ballistic paths for about 350 years.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

If it's that delicate, it seems it would break apart in the upper atmosphere.

It isn't.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Have never understood why any intelligent person would believe anything said by NASA .
Run by the emergent Nazis and a front misinformation site ever since .
The only aspect of their news releases worth consideration is what they are deflecting from , and what their real narrative might be .

But naturally that is complete BS . And as unprovable as the real source of their mystery packet . Imho

Sorry, nobody cares about this nonsense.

 

[westwall]

If it's that delicate, it seems it would break apart in the upper atmosphere.

Too much mass. The outer material would act as an ablative shield so there would still be a substantial amount of material for impact.

Far better to break it up into smaller chunks that the atmosphere can deal with.