[ExI] Asteroid on track for possible Mars hit

[Stefano Vaj]

On Dec 24, 2007 8:37 PM, John K Clark <jonkc at att.net> wrote:

> Idea for a science fiction novel: A huge nickel iron asteroid is heading
> for
> Earth, it would take a 200,000 megaton bomb to divert it but no existing
> rocket is nearly powerful enough to deliver such a huge payload to the
> asteroid. The Earth seems doomed, then our hero remembers Project Orion
> from the 1950's.
>
> It would certainly make a spectacular movie, the launch of an Orion type
> spacecraft would be amazing sight, it would make a Saturn 5 look like a
> bottle rocket.
>

I proposed it a number of times, but it did not get anybody's attention. :-)

And, yes, it could well bring some 8,000 tons (not 10,000 Kg) of payload at
escape velocity, with a single nice stage.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propulsion%29.

And you would not need any exploding head, inertia would be sufficient to do
its work.

Stefano Vaj
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