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Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle

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Sometimes NEOs are difficult to track. They could have an irregular orbit or be spinning, making it hard for the leader craft to make an initial crater. If the HAIV doesn't make proper contact, the NEO's orbit may not change and go on to collide with Earth. NASA is currently working out how to combat
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Initial test missions have cost between US$ 600 million to $ 1.8 billion, to test the feasibility of the guidance. A full mission may cost much more than this amount, especially in the case of a NEO detected with a short time till collision with Earth. With recent cuts to NASA's funding, it
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It is reported that analysis by Sandorff of the Project Icarus study, with an unspecified criteria and with the use of then estimated Saturn V launch success rates, that the project had a 71% chance of completely protecting the Earth and an 86% chance of reducing the damage a full impact would cause.
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As the students knew nothing about the density and spin rate of the asteroid at the time, the team needed to propose a deflection solution that would not be held back by these unknowns. Eventually the team landed upon a conservative mission architecture that would work with 73 days remaining until
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After detecting many of the asteroids in the Solar System and observing their composition through meteorite remains, NASA has identified multiple large asteroids that may collide with Earth. To combat these NEOs, NASA has come up with the following design for an HAIV. The vehicle is split into two
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in space. However it is unlikely that a nuclear explosive device, fuzed to be detonated only upon interception with a threatening celestial object, with the sole intent of preventing that celestial body from impacting Earth would be regarded as an un-peaceful use of space, or that the explosive
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In 2013, a meteor about 30 meters in diameter and weighing about 13,000 metric tons had an impact event over Russia. Once in Earth's lower atmosphere it burned up and exploded. This relatively small meteor damaged over 7200 buildings and injured over 1400 people. It brought renewed attention
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Wie admitted that sending nuclear weapons into space would be politically controversial. However, he said there are a number of safety features that could be built into the spacecraft to prevent the nuclear warhead from detonating in the event of a launch
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such as comets and asteroids that threaten colliding with Earth. The vehicle is intended to use powerful explosives, such as nuclear bombs, to deflect the NEO by detonating on the surface, thus changing its trajectory to miss Earth. This method of
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The leader craft is initially attached to the follower craft, but before impact the two craft are spread out by an extendable pillar known as the AstroMast Boom. Furthermore, it contains the primary guidance systems including normal cameras and
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Once the leader craft impacts the NEO and makes a crater, the follower craft detonates its NED soon after. It also relays back whether the detonation was a success or failure which can be confirmed by observation from the Earth.
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Over the years, certain events brought up the idea of planetary defense from NEOs. These events lead to the development of the HAIV that NASA intends to use.
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would arrive at the asteroid with 13 days before Earth-impact remaining, the second Saturn-Icarus 2, arriving with 10 days remaining and so on.
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There are numerous factors that have slowed the development of the HAIV. These include but aren't limited to budget, law, and irregular NEOs.
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with Earth. The idea came about when asteroid detection improved. Since then, scientists and engineers have sketched a design for an HAIV.
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device sent to mitigate an Earth impact, explicitly designed to prevent harm to come to life would fall under the classification of a "
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Though Project Icarus was never tested, it laid the foundation for future research on nuclear explosive device deflection techniques.
252:"An Innovative Solution to NASA's NEO Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development" 18: 219:
this problem for the HAIV, in contrast the project Icarus technique of MIT would not be hindered by these complications.
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which would detonate about "50 to 100 feet" in proximity to the asteroids surface. The first explosive Saturn-Icarus 1
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is intended to be used on dangerous NEOs detected within a short time frame (less than 5 years) before a possible
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The use of nuclear explosive devices is an international issue and will need to be addressed by the
458: 435: 417:"Conceptual Design of a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) Flight Validation Mission" 486: 100: 154: 110:
satellite was able to track the plume afterwards, giving scientists more data on asteroids.
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Barbee, Brent W.; Wie, Bong; Steiner, Mark; Getzandanner, Kenneth (August 19, 2013).
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A large antenna and communication electronics to relay information back to Earth.
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rocket vehicle then under development, to deliver 6 to 7 somewhat hypothetical
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Thrusters and fuel tanks to help the vehicle to travel towards the target NEO.
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Solar panels and batteries to power both the follower and leader craft.
436:"Nuking Dangerous Asteroids Might Be the Best Protection, Expert Says" 386:"Around the World in Four Days: NASA Tracks Chelyabinsk Meteor Plume" 207: 163:
Other support systems and fail safes in the case of a malfunction.
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asked his graduate students to come up with a plan to deflect
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Project Icarus: an MIT Student Project in Systems Engineering
360:"Russian Meteor: Chelyabinsk Cleaning Up After Meteor Blast" 195:
United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
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impact. It consisted of launching a repeated series of the
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major parts; the leader craft and the follower craft.
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A camera to check on the status of the leader craft.
185:is unsure whether an HAIV mission will ever occur. 421:AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference 157:device) that detonates upon impact with the NEO. 28:Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) 234:, with a similar 2 stage operating mechanism. 280: 278: 276: 274: 272: 8: 287:"MIT Saves the World: Project Icarus (1967)" 140:The follower craft contains the following: 459:"The dilemma of nuclear energy in space" 63:In 1967, Professor Paul Sandorff at the 285:Portree, David S. F. (March 29, 2012). 242: 22:What an HAIV might do during a mission. 199:Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 81:100-megaton nuclear explosive devices 65:Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7: 410: 408: 406: 106:towards asteroid defense. The NASA 30:is a spacecraft being developed by 358:Radia, Kirit (February 16, 2013). 14: 463:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 434:Messier, Douglas (May 29, 2013). 384:Jenner, Lynn (August 14, 2013). 333:"'Project Icarus' (book review)" 311:Kleiman, Louis A., ed. (1968). 250:Wie, Bong (February 11, 2013). 1: 457:Remo, John L. (May 1, 2015). 423:. Boston, MA, United States. 317:. MIT Press. Archived from 536: 98: 232:runway cratering munition 201:technically bans nuclear 41:asteroid impact avoidance 36:Near Earth objects (NEOs) 483:10.1177/0096340215581359 230:– A chemical explosive, 23: 34:to deflect dangerous 21: 321:on October 17, 2007. 510:Proposed spacecraft 475:2015BuAtS..71c..38R 101:Chelyabinsk meteor 95:Chelyabinsk meteor 24: 155:nuclear explosive 527: 495: 494: 454: 448: 447: 431: 425: 424: 412: 401: 400: 398: 396: 381: 375: 374: 372: 370: 355: 349: 348: 346: 344: 335:. Archived from 329: 323: 322: 308: 302: 301: 299: 297: 282: 267: 266: 264: 262: 247: 535: 534: 530: 529: 528: 526: 525: 524: 500: 499: 498: 456: 455: 451: 433: 432: 428: 414: 413: 404: 394: 392: 383: 382: 378: 368: 366: 357: 356: 352: 342: 340: 339:on June 2, 2016 331: 330: 326: 310: 309: 305: 295: 293: 284: 283: 270: 260: 258: 249: 248: 244: 240: 225: 216: 191: 182: 174: 138: 125: 116: 103: 97: 85:physics package 61: 53: 12: 11: 5: 533: 531: 523: 522: 517: 512: 502: 501: 497: 496: 449: 426: 402: 376: 350: 324: 303: 268: 241: 239: 236: 224: 221: 215: 214:Irregular NEOs 212: 190: 187: 181: 178: 173: 170: 165: 164: 161: 158: 151: 148: 145: 137: 136:Follower craft 134: 124: 121: 115: 112: 99:Main article: 96: 93: 60: 59:Project Icarus 57: 52: 49: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 532: 521: 520:NASA vehicles 518: 516: 515:Space weapons 513: 511: 508: 507: 505: 492: 488: 484: 480: 476: 472: 468: 464: 460: 453: 450: 446: 441: 437: 430: 427: 422: 418: 411: 409: 407: 403: 391: 387: 380: 377: 365: 361: 354: 351: 338: 334: 328: 325: 320: 316: 315: 307: 304: 292: 288: 281: 279: 277: 275: 273: 269: 257: 253: 246: 243: 237: 235: 233: 229: 222: 220: 213: 211: 209: 204: 200: 196: 188: 186: 179: 177: 171: 169: 162: 159: 156: 152: 149: 146: 143: 142: 141: 135: 133: 131: 122: 120: 113: 111: 109: 102: 94: 92: 88: 86: 82: 78: 72: 70: 66: 58: 56: 50: 48: 46: 42: 37: 33: 29: 20: 16: 466: 462: 452: 443: 439: 429: 420: 395:February 13, 393:. Retrieved 389: 379: 367:. Retrieved 363: 353: 341:. Retrieved 337:the original 327: 319:the original 313: 306: 296:February 13, 294:. Retrieved 290: 259:. Retrieved 255: 245: 226: 217: 202: 192: 183: 175: 166: 139: 126: 123:Leader craft 117: 104: 89: 73: 62: 54: 45:impact event 27: 25: 15: 369:February 2, 261:January 29, 197:. The 1996 69:1566 Icarus 504:Categories 238:References 228:MW-1#STABO 491:120686659 469:(3): 38. 440:Space.com 172:Obstacles 153:The NED ( 108:Suomi NPP 445:failure. 364:ABC News 343:July 21, 223:See also 77:Saturn V 471:Bibcode 203:weapons 51:History 489:  208:weapon 180:Budget 114:Design 487:S2CID 291:Wired 130:Lidar 397:2016 390:NASA 371:2016 345:2016 298:2016 263:2016 256:NASA 32:NASA 479:doi 210:". 189:Law 506:: 485:. 477:. 467:71 465:. 461:. 442:. 438:. 419:. 405:^ 388:. 362:. 289:. 271:^ 254:. 26:A 493:. 481:: 473:: 399:. 373:. 347:. 300:. 265:.

Index


NASA
Near Earth objects (NEOs)
asteroid impact avoidance
impact event
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1566 Icarus
Saturn V
100-megaton nuclear explosive devices
physics package
Chelyabinsk meteor
Suomi NPP
Lidar
nuclear explosive
United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
weapon
MW-1#STABO
runway cratering munition
"An Innovative Solution to NASA's NEO Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development"





"MIT Saves the World: Project Icarus (1967)"
Project Icarus: an MIT Student Project in Systems Engineering
the original
"'Project Icarus' (book review)"
the original

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