Is there a proposed Asteroid missile defence system for Earth ?

[eliquant]

Is there a proposed Asteroid missile defence system for Earth ?

I was just worndering as there are millions of these floating about (admitedy mostly in a safe orbit around the Milkyway's asteroid belt) and millions more actually really far out in the outer reaches of our solar system that take 30 million years to orbit our sun.

And it only takes one of 10-20 miles long to hit us and its a 75% life extinction maker.

I remember the US military doing a demo of a satellite geting destroyed by a missile but can those deliver nuclear warheads large enough to deflect or completely destroy ?

[scooterscot]

There is a US military programme in operation that observes/tracks extinction makers, that were once part of the Astroid belt, which encompasses our solar system. Currently that is the limit of our technology. I read a lot of New Scientist mmmmm okay.

The only defence we have a present is Norway's efforts to store every seed/plant species deep within an ark close to the north pole.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7082933.stm

[Cliphead]

I remember the US military doing a demo of a satellite geting destroyed by a missile but can those deliver nuclear warheads large enough to deflect or completely destroy ?

No

HTH

[gingerjedi]

I saw a program about this and the main problem was the geological make up of these giant rocks, it would appear that most are quite porous and would simply absorb any explosion.

The solution was to attach a rocket and push the asteroid away rather than trying to destroy it.

Of course all this is just hypothetical as no-one has anything in place to deal with such an event.... In reality we'd be fecked.

[scooterscot]

Another great defence would be to inhabit the moon, Mar's... and not have all our eggs in one basket.

We could start by putting Dim Prawn on the red planet with planning permission to build quality housing, terror-forming would be complete this time next week.

[HairyArsedBloke]

... mostly in a safe orbit around the Milkyway's asteroid belt...

The what?

May I sugest that you seek comfort from your church leader.

[OwlHoot]

Another great defence would be to inhabit the moon, Mar's... and not have all our eggs in one basket.

We could start by putting Dim Prawn on the red planet with planning permission to build quality housing, terror-forming would be complete this time next week.

Yes, he'd scare the hell out of any Martians once his terra-forming got underway.

[NickFitz]

I remember the US military doing a demo of a satellite geting destroyed by a missile

You remember incorrectly.

It was the Chinese who did that.

And I believe I'm correct in saying that this is something that neither the Americans nor the Russians have achieved.

Make of this what you will.

[TimberWolf]

Another great defence would be to inhabit the moon, Mar's... and not have all our eggs in one basket.

We could start by putting Dim Prawn on the red planet with planning permission to build quality housing, terror-forming would be complete this time next week.

foaming

[TimberWolf]

The boyfriend of one of the cheeky girls has an interest in this subject.

The amount we could deflect a large asteroid would be quite small, so it has to be done early.