[meteorite-list] Canadian Scientists Design Defense From Asteroid Threat

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Jun 2 21:47:31 2006
Message-ID: <200606021651.JAA23773_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/story/qc-asteroid20060526.html

Sherbrooke scientists design defence from asteroid threat
CBC News (Canada)
May 29, 2006

If planet Earth is besieged by a falling asteroid, a group of scientists
in Quebec's Eastern Townships may help save the day.

NGC Aerospatiale, a company based in Sherbrooke, is developing
technology to track and divert stray asteroids tumbling toward Earth.

The technology involves autonomous satellites, "intelligent" devices
that rely on software to make decisions in space.

Autonomous satellites will be able to pinpoint potentially dangerous
asteroids and act swiftly to knock them off track, without any
assistance from ground control, said the company's president, Jean de
Lafontaine.

"[It's] just like when you play billiards," explained Lafontaine. "It
makes an impact and it deviates the trajectory of the asteroid, so that
it avoids the earth by a few thousand kilometres."

The technology would rely on two satellites: an orbiter to analyze
information about the asteroid, and an "impacter" that could travel up
to 10 kilometres per second to strike the asteroid and disrupt its course.

In recent years, Lafontaine helped develop early versions of the
satellite software for the Canadian and European Space Agencies. The
latter has since hired Lafontaine's current company to build the
autonomous satellites.

The threat of an asteroid striking Earth may seem like science fiction
straight out of Hollywood, but Lafontaine said it's a genuine concern
throughout the aerospace sector.

The planet already has geographical scars from past collisions with
asteroids, which can be seen at about 150 different sites around the
world, said Lafontaine.

Quebec is home to one of the most stunning asteroid craters, found in
Manicouagan, about 200 kilometres north of Baie Comeau, in the
province's northern region.

The Manicouagan Crater is 70 kilometres wide, making it one of the
world's largest impact craters.
Received on Fri 02 Jun 2006 12:51:00 PM PDT