[meteorite-list] "Slide Show" just posted by the University of Arizona

From: lebofsky at lpl.arizona.edu <lebofsky_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 04:28:11 -0700
Message-ID: <ee71bdc0cfb6f841c89335c80834c9f7.squirrel_at_webmail.lpl.arizona.edu>

Hello Everyone:

University of Arizona News just posted the following slide show about
meteorites featuring our own Dolores Hill!

http://uanews.org/node/45837

Enjoy.

Larry Lebofsky

>
> Latest approach to dealing with asteroids...
>
> http://www.strath.ac.uk/press/newsreleases/headline_602313_en.html
>
> Of course, this could mean, no more meteorites...
>
>
> Pioneering engineers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow are
> developing an innovative technique based on lasers that could radically
> change asteroid deflection technology.
>
>
> The research has unearthed the possibility of using a swarm of relatively
> small satellites flying in formation and cooperatively firing
> solar-powered lasers onto an asteroid ??? this would overcome the
> difficulties associated with current methods that are focused on large
> unwieldy spacecraft.
>
>
> Dr Massimiliano Vasile, of Strathclyde???s Department of Mechanical and
> Aerospace Engineering, is leading the research. He said: ???The approach
> we are developing would involve sending small satellites, capable of
> flying in formation with the asteroid and firing their lasers targeting
> the asteroid at close range.
>
> ???The use of high power lasers in space for civil and commercial
> applications is in its infancy and one of the main challenges is to have
> high power, high efficiency and high beam quality all at the same time.
>
> ???The additional problem with asteroid deflection is that when the laser
> begins to break down the surface of the object, the plume of gas and
> debris impinges the spacecraft and contaminates the laser. However, our
> laboratory tests have proven that the level of contamination is less than
> expected and the laser could continue to function for longer than
> anticipated.???
>
> Just over 100 years ago a 2000-kilometer area of vegetation was destroyed
> when an object believed to be 30-50 metres in diameter exploded in the
> skies above Tunguska, Siberia. While the likelihood of an immediate threat
> from a similar asteroid strike remains low, it is widely recognised that
> researching preventative measures is of significant importance.
>
> Dr Vasile added: ???The Tunguska class of events are expected to occur
> within a period of a few centuries. Smaller asteroids collide with Earth
> more frequently and generally burn in the atmosphere although some of them
> reach the ground or explode at low altitude potentially causing damage to
> buildings and people.
>
> ???We could reduce the threat posed by the potential collision with small
> to medium size objects using a flotilla of small agile spacecraft each
> equipped with a highly efficient laser which is much more feasible than a
> single large spacecraft carrying a multi mega watt. Our system is
> scalable, a larger asteroid would require adding one or more spacecraft to
> the flotilla, and intrinsically redundant - if one spacecraft fails the
> others can continue.???
>
> Dr Vasile is now investigating the use of the same concept to remove space
> debris. The number of objects in orbit classified as debris is
> ever-increasing and with no widely accepted solution for their removal.
> Researchers at the University of Strathclyde believe the space-borne
> lasers could be used to lower the original orbit of the space debris and
> reduce the congestion.
>
> Dr Vasile said: ???The amount of debris in orbit is such that we might
> experience a so called Kessler syndrome ??? this is when the density
> becomes so high that collisions between objects could cause an
> exponentially increasing cascade of other collisions.
>
> ???While there is significant monitoring in place to keep track of these
> objects, there is no specific system in place to remove them and our
> research could be a possible solution.
>
> ???A major advantage of using our technique is that the laser does not
> have to be fired from the ground. Obviously there are severe restrictions
> with that process as it has to travel through the atmosphere, has a
> constrained range of action and can hit the debris only for short arcs.???
>
> The research was carried out in collaboration with the University of
> Strathclyde???s Institute of Photonics and was presented to the Planetary
> Society at the end of February. ???
>
> 25 March 2012
>
> DRVann
>
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Received on Thu 05 Apr 2012 07:28:11 AM PDT