Near Earth Objects

The near-Earth object (NEO for short), whether asteroids or comets, can become a disaster for humanity if blueberries straight into our planet. This concern is growing after NASA statistics about 50 million NEO headed to Earth every day, thanks to the development of increasingly more modern. Experts predict more than 100 years, many large NEO will threaten the earth, the most famous is the "teenagers" Apophis.
Don Quijote mission.

The task of NEOShield is very detailed analysis of potential projects can be applied in case a threatening NEO earth. First, Don Quijote mission, which deployed two spacecraft at the same time, a ship (called Hidalgo) crashed into the target asteroid, the remaining ships (name Sancho) flying around to collect data data to determine whether there last collision deflect asteroids or not. It is not clear what changes to the plan or not, but certainly before being implemented as intended in 2015, NEOShield to make many parameters related to Don Quijote project, such as the surface of the asteroid targets; it is composed of gas and solid according to Professor Harris.

Besides, in recent years, experts began to think of the idea that gravity affects the routes of NEO. This concept involves the use of a spacecraft edge NEO without physical contact with it, and use gravity to intervene in the NEO's orbit. This is a difficult mission, because the shapes of asteroids is not stable and continuous rotation while on the move. The bottom line is that the experts have to find a way to maintain regular contact with a non-self-propelled boat in about 10 years or more. Forcing this spacecraft gravitational effect NEO continuously to pull out the initial direction to avoid the prospect shattered when it collided with NEO.

The last measure is controversial shot straight atomic bomb and destroy the other NEO discomfort. Controversial talk to deploy nuclear weapons can harm the diplomatic relations complex on the world stage. However, some scientists believe that this is worth studying because it may be the most effective measures in case of an NEO oversized suddenly come to earth. Website Space.com quoted experts Harris explained if an asteroid with a diameter of more than 500 m and are forewarned within 5 years, measures the atomic bomb attack may be the only approach. Russian experts are currently responsible for analyzing the physical aspect of the possibility an asteroid might react to a nuclear explosion on the surface of it. Of course, Professor Harris emphasized that scientists themselves are not advocating for the tests of nuclear weapons in space and not taking advantage of this research to develop atomic weapons.

The ultimate goal of NEOShield use the knowledge gained to make the design the most effective shield to protect the earth when necessary, such as motivation measures combined with gravity. Accordingly, spacecraft observations (ie Sancho) was deployed in the Don Quijote mission will be reused as gravity spacecraft after the collision between the spacecraft and NEO suicide was successful. In addition, there is NEOShield task set a precise tool to assist in planning the global response to the involvement of partners such as the UN, the space agency in the world and the institutional concerned.