[meteorite-list] OT-sort of - Sci-fi Comet killer using Microwave Blast Weapon

From: MEM <mstreman53_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:08:51 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <1362002931.30178.YahooMailNeo_at_web142403.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>

Interesting question and no so much in the annals of just sci-fi but one to be thought through.? One of my mentors with a lot of experience in the Apollo program had the inspiration to microwave lunar soil and found it formed a glassy concrete.? A lot of research was prepared during the return to the moon initiative for robotic solar powered microwave pavers to go to the moon and prepare landing pads and shelters.? What makes the moon regolith suitable is the content of iron nickel powder from pulverized micro-meteorites.? The point being is that some design work was already explored on space/lunar based microwave excavators/pavers.

From what we believe about low metal but high solid-water and hydrocarbon content of comets, it would probably be a different reaction: triggering outgassing and an accelerated change of mass and ergo Delta T /orbit.? I would imagine it would take a swarm of these microwave robots to effect a change more like a hive of thousands of the suitcase variety rather than one or two massive slicer dicers.? They would also have to have Topaz-like power generators as solar panels would be less efficient and get in the way of decomposing comet.

The microwave unit is a minor comparatively speaking off the shelf scale-able technology.? Steering thruster arrays are also off the shelf.? Right now the Russians are the only nation with major lift to put massive numbers out of Earth Orbit, I assume.? Seems like it is a matter of integrating off the shelf technologies to put a swarm of interacting drone-like microwave excavators in a catch up approach to some future threat.

Elton



>________________________________
> From: drtanuki <drtanuki at yahoo.com>
>To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 2:24 PM
>Subject: [meteorite-list] OT-sort of - Sci-fi Comet killer using Microwave Blast Weapon
>
>List,? Sorry for the sci-fi off-topic sort of question.? Given IF we can get close enough to a comet body how effective would a microwave weapon be and is it possible to launch a large enough microwave weapon into space?? Thank you.? Dirk Ross...Tokyo
>
>Yes, we have 2 comets visible this year.
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Received on Wed 27 Feb 2013 05:08:51 PM PST