Absolute magnitude (H)

(c) Measure the mass of the asteroid, the ratio of the moments of inertia and the low order harmonics of the gravity field of the asteroid

(b) Determine the mechanical properties of the asteroid material

The science spacecraft, called Sancho, would arrive at the asteroid first and, after a rendezvous manoeuvre, would observe and measure the target asteroid over a period of several months.

The rotation rate of the asteroid might be changed by some 0.5 degrees per day.

(d) Model the asteroid shape before and after the impact, to detect changes

Projected impact of the Hidalgo spacecraft on asteroid 1989 ML as witnessed by Sancho spacecraft

Its main task would be to hit the asteroid with a given positional accuracy and relative velocity.

On February 12, 2001, at the end of its mission, it landed on the asteroid's surface using its maneuvering jets.

It is planned to have a network of at least four penetrators on the surface of an asteroid.

Figure II shows the impact of Hidalgo on asteroid 1989 ML and Sancho's observation of the events

Now the right has been screaming about this asteroid since the 1960s, and the left has been saying, It's not a problem. It's not a problem.

(h) Provide a model for non gravitational forces, such as the Yarkovsky effect, acting on the asteroid orbit and rotation.

The impact velocity should be in the range of 50 100 m s 1 in order to ensure a proper penetration depth and appropriate coupling to the asteroid.

The left has been screaming about this asteroid for 30 years now, and the right says, Huh, what? Hmm? No problem. No problem.

This was the first of two planned asteroid flybys performed by the probe, the second being to the much larger 21 Lutetia in 2010.

The second spacecraft, the impactor, called Hidalgo, would then impact the asteroid at a relative speed of at least 10 km s 1.

Yet, we dither, taking no action to divert the asteroid, even though the longer we wait, the more difficult and expensive it becomes.

(b) An infrared mapping spectrometer with low spatial resolution and high spectral resolution to measure the surface mineralogy.

And one of the bad things that could happen to NASA is if that asteroid shows up with our name on it nine months out and everybody says, Well, what are we going to do?

The name and number 330 Adalberta was then reused for another asteroid discovered by Max Wolf on February 2, 1910, which had the provisional designation .

The Institute is involved in the interpretation of Deep Impact data and in ground based observations of the NEO Itokawa, which is the target asteroid of the Japanese Hayabusa mission.

In September 2002, the highest Palermo rating was that of asteroid (29075) 1950 DA, with a value of 0.17 for a possible collision in the year 2880.

During the entry of a meteoroid or asteroid into the upper atmosphere, an ionization trail is created, where the molecules in the upper atmosphere are ionized by the passage of the meteor.

The penetrators surface elements and the seismic sources are considered separate elements, since they would perform the landing and surface operation on the asteroid, which would be in itself a complex sub mission of Don Quijote.

(f) Measure the state of rotation of the asteroid before and immediately after the impact to an accuracy of approximately 10 per cent. Also detect, if possible, the dissipation of the non principal axis rotation after the impact to determine the internal dissipation factor (Q)

Calculations performed in the Don Quijote industrial study for a reference asteroid of a diameter of 500 meters (m) and a density of 2.6 gm cm 3 indicated that there would be an impact induced displacement of the asteroid of 1,400 m over a period of four months.

Don Quijote would allow the first detailed determination of the interior structure of such an asteroid, its mechanical properties, as well as a direct measurement of its response to an impact, thereby providing crucial information for all further development of mitigation strategies, including numerical modelling.

Sancho, which would retreat to a safe distance before the impact, would then return to a close orbit to determine the changes in the asteroid's orbit and state of rotation, as well as in its shape, and (optionally) to collect samples of the fresh subsurface material exposed by the crater formation.

It has a little tiny bit of gravity, but it's enough that it can pull the asteroid, and you have your rockets set up, so you can oh, you can barely see it here, but there's rocket plumes and you basically, these guys are connected by their own gravity, and if you move the probe very slowly, very, very gently, you can very easily finesse that rock into a safe orbit.

What's six miles wide and can end civilization in an instant? An asteroid and there are lots of them out there. With humor and great visuals, Phil Plait enthralls the TEDxBoulder audience with all the ways asteroids can kill, and what we must do to avoid them.