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I don’t know that it’s even an especially large “maybe.” The larger the force applied, I guess we could expect a larger change in the trajectory (including speed) of the big old space rock.Agreed...but that's a HUUUUUUGE 'Maybe'.
This asteroid was classified as 'non-threatening'. It would be truly ironic - and tragic - if what NASA just did alters the course, and years from now it slams into the earth...It is actually an important experiment. An asteroid strike on Earth is truly a civilization, if not life ending catastrophe.
This experiment is to see if kinetic energy strikes can have an effect.
The smaller the mass the less effect so it IS vitally important to know how much mass is needed to affect a orbital shift.
One thousandth of a degree, 3 AU away, equals a planetary miss.
Your level of scientific knowledge ranges from "I drove a truck" to "I know a guy who knows a guy"I wish you would have posted the story before it happened. I drove a tractor-trailer for nearly 30 years and I would have only charged them a million or two and give them all the information they wanted.
Years ago I had a coworker that worked for NASA here in Cleveland. He told me they look for ways to waste money. One summer they ripped up all the sidewalks and replaced them. The next year they did the same thing. They used to take office supplies home all the time like pens, copy paper, electric pencil sharpeners. For the stuff they kept track of like computers and typewriters, they'd replace them, throw the perfectly good ones away, and the employees would take them out of the trash.
It was no secret what they were doing, everybody including the supervisors allowed it to go on. The security guards never checked vehicles or the trunks of their cars. If they didn't spend the government money, they would lower their spending for the following year.
And this was a test of that theory. We'll know in a few weeks how successful it wasI don’t know that it’s even an especially large “maybe.” The larger the force applied, I guess we could expect a larger change in the trajectory (including speed) of the big old space rock.
But when you factor in some of the massive distances involved, a small change in speed and or direction of travel (or both) could have major significance on where that object will end up at the time it otherwise might have been expected to collide with Earth.
Exactly. This was just a test of the theory. Now we know we can precisely deliver a huge force to alter the direction of an asteroid that threatens earth.I don’t know that it’s even an especially large “maybe.” The larger the force applied, I guess we could expect a larger change in the trajectory (including speed) of the big old space rock.
But when you factor in some of the massive distances involved, a small change in speed and or direction of travel (or both) could have major significance on where that object will end up at the time it otherwise might have been expected to collide with Earth.
This asteroid was classified as 'non-threatening'. It would be truly ironic - and tragic - if what NASA just did alters the course, and years from now it slams into the earth...
Actually, that's how many government agencies are funded. I saw this while in the Army. I was TDY'd to Special Services, which is run by civilian government employees. Current materials requisition allowances were based on the previous requisition allowance. We were forced to 'buy' stuff we had no use for or lose our 'purchasing' power. Once reduced it was nearly impossible to increase it again regardless of need.Your level of scientific knowledge ranges from "I drove a truck" to "I know a guy who knows a guy"
STFU moron
That's govt in a nutshell - no incentive to SAVE . SPEND it all, whether there is an actual need or not, or get your budget reduced the next year.Actually, that's how many government agencies are funded. I saw this while in the Army. I was TDY'd to Special Services, which is run by civilian government employees. Current materials requisition allowances were based on the previous requisition allowance. We were forced to 'buy' stuff we had no use for or lose our 'purchasing' power. Once reduced it was nearly impossible to increase it again regardless of need.
Your level of scientific knowledge ranges from "I drove a truck" to "I know a guy who knows a guy"
STFU moron
On the bright side the money doesn't remain in Washington very long before it's back in the general economy.That's govt in a nutshell - no incentive to SAVE . SPEND it all, whether there is an actual need or not, or get your budget reduced the next year.
That money would have been spent on other NASA projects anyway.
I have heard that as well.Don't you believe it. Years ago I had a job teaching music at a music store. One of my students worked for a machine shop that made bolts and had a government contract. He told me each and every bolt for the space shuttle had to have a 300 page document for the government. If they didn't like the document, they couldn't change a paragraph or sentence, they wanted an entirely new document.
So I asked what the difference was between the bolts that go into the space shuttle and the ones we buy at the hardware store? He said not a Fn thing. They are made the exact same way with the exception you can buy a bolt from the hardware store for about a buck. The ones they sold to NASA were $300.00 each.
This actually is not as bad as some of the shit NASA blows money on . I would rather the Government give grants to private industry to do these sort of missions. It will employ more people and private companies have more of an incentive to protect the planet than the Fed does. No matter what catastrophe kills off us peasants, you know the elite in government and society will survive somewhere.Congrats to NASA - they successfully carried out anexpetiment in which they hit a football stadium-sized asteroid traveling 14,000 mph with a vending machine-sized spacecraft 'in the ‘world’s first planetary defense test.’
It was pretty much like a bug hitting a semi truck's windshield.
NASA will spend the next few weeks trying to determine if the impact caused any shift in the asteroids trajectory.
(When a bug hits the windshield of a semi, does the bug alter the truck's trajectory / heading? THIS observation cost nothing - NASA's cost us, in the middle of massive inflation - $325 million.)
NASA's Vending Machine-Sized Spacecraft Crashes into Football Stadium-Size Asteroid in the World’s First Planetary Defense Test (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft
Earth’s ability to withstand an asteroid strike or comet hazard was put to the test for the first time as a NASA spacecraft collided with a non-hazardous asteroid in the ‘world’s first planetary defense test.’ “This is only a test – of planetary defense.www.thegatewaypundit.com
If it’s done far enough from earth, it doesn’t take much.IF the asteroid's trajectory was altered, it was changed by inches at most.
Maybe, but it was hit by an object traveling over 20 times faster than a speeding bullet. Or 200 times faster than a june bug hitting a semi truck wind shield. That changes the speed & trajectory that will add up to thousands of miles after traveling over 750,000 miles.IF the asteroid's trajectory was altered, it was changed by inches at most.
THIS observation cost nothing - NASA's cost us, in the middle of massive inflation - $325 million.
So I asked what the difference was between the bolts that go into the space shuttle and the ones we buy at the hardware store? He said not a Fn thing. They are made the exact same way with the exception you can buy a bolt from the hardware store for about a buck. The ones they sold to NASA were $300.00 each.
That's total BS.Don't you believe it. Years ago I had a job teaching music at a music store. One of my students worked for a machine shop that made bolts and had a government contract. He told me each and every bolt for the space shuttle had to have a 300 page document for the government. If they didn't like the document, they couldn't change a paragraph or sentence, they wanted an entirely new document.
So I asked what the difference was between the bolts that go into the space shuttle and the ones we buy at the hardware store? He said not a Fn thing. They are made the exact same way with the exception you can buy a bolt from the hardware store for about a buck. The ones they sold to NASA were $300.00 each.
Easy, 325 mill is nothing.