ast week Chinese scientists wanted to divert an asteroid away from Earth. This week, they want to pull one into orbit around the Earth. What’s possible objections could anyone have to this idea?

The notion stems from a phenomenon the researchers from Tsinghua University in Beijing noticed from time to time with Jupiter. Every now and then our solar systems biggest planet pulls in an object from space, which orbits the planet for a time before jetting off into interplanetary space again.

We could do something similar with a number of near earth objects (NEOs) that will pass near Earth in the coming years and decades. None of these objects will pass close enough to be naturally captured by Earth’s gravity, but a few will come so close that a small nudge in the right direction would put them in orbit--likely a temporary orbit--around Earth.

The idea isn’t simply to flirt with cataclysmic danger, but to bring a small object (they suggest a 10-meter object called 2008EA9 that will pass nearby in 2049) into a loop around the Earth so we can study it closely for a few years. If we can get the art of capturing asteroids orbitally down to a science, we could use it to temporarily make asteroids into Earth-bound satellites (orbiting at about twice the distance of the moon), mine them for minerals, and then send them on their ways.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/articl ... ound-earth

foolish idea, but might be a solution as a earth defence drone or alternative as a moon base. i mean, one moon is not enough is it? where else do you keep all these chinese?

I kinda like the idea, as long as they are not the only ones who can do it.
Mining asteroids would be nice.

ye what about losing orbit and entering the atmosphere....

Earth wouldn't suffer any damage.

Please notice that they said a 10 meter body. Not a meteorite. An asteroid.

When a body enters Earth's atmosphere, an asteroid to exemplify, the friction caused by the atmosphere upon the asteroid's surface is so strong that the body basically disintegrates into tiny particles that land on Earth.

Now if that would happen to the Moon, it would likely cause a small crater, since the Moon doesn't have an atmosphere.



I'm neutral on this. It would probably help us better understand the Universe we live in, I guess - but we already know pretty much everything about asteroids. Resources, yes. Maybe.

Understand that this experminet would not have any negative repercussions.

ah wait, 10 meters? thats about the lenght of ISS

yes then there's not much to fear no

The repercussions of having a giant asteroid pulled into orbit would be devastating. Even if it doesn't hit Earth and wipe out all civilaztion, the Sun would be blocked out over China, ergo economical meltdown.

It all depends on how they do it
But mining them would be nice.

Maybe they'll make a colony on it.

We all know China could use more space.

No seriously, decent sized asteroids have more metals in them then we have used uphill now. (And I mean everything)

Wouldn't it mess up tidal... stuff?

Well aslong as its not too big, like the Moon is about 1/3rd of the size of the earth. The rocks they want to pull in would be nowhere near that size (I hope )