In Case of Asteroid, Use Lasso [Space]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image.../asteroid_.jpgEveryone is aware that the asteroids are determined to kill us all. But did you know our most foolproof defense? Why, just grab the nearest 60,000 miles of rope, dummy.
That's right, an Air Force aerospace engineer has developed a plan—well, let's call it a method—for altering the path of potentially harmful space objects by tethering them, via hilariously long cord, to a multi-billion pound weight. Theoretically, the weight would alter the menacing rock's orbit enough to avoid an Earth impact and certain doom. Oh, but that alteration would take anywhere from 10 to 50 years, which could be problematic based on our current detection capabilities. And we don't actually have a way of sending anywhere near that much weight into space in the first place, much less an idea of how to tie it around an asteroid. Maybe a really, really big sailor's knot? [Wired]


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