HAMMER (spacecraft)

Hyper-velocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a concept study by NASA on a spacecraft (8 tonnes) capable of detonating a nuclear bomb to deflect an asteroid, if it was on a collision course to Earth. The study is a collaboration between the National Nuclear Security Administration, NASA, and two Energy Department weapons labs.[1][2][3]

Bennu

NASA is working on a modelling study that considers the asteroid 101955 Bennu, which has a diameter of 246 meters and capable of a 1.15 gigaton impact, as a modelling target for the HAMMER concept.[4][5] It is circling the Sun at 63,000 mph and 54 million miles from the Earth. [6] Bennu was first discovered in 1999 and on 21 September 2135, it has a 1 in 2,700 chance to hit the Earth. [7]

The two realistic responses considered in the study are the use of a spacecraft functioning as either a kinetic impactor or a nuclear explosive carrier to deflect the approaching asteroid.[8]

See also

References
  1. Khartoum, Sarah (15 March 2018). "Nasa draws up plans for huge spacecraft to blow up doomsday asteroid". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  2. Vergano, Dan (7 March 2018). "Government Scientists Have A Plan For Blowing Up Asteroids With A Nuke". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  3. Parsons, Jeff (16 March 2018). "NASA building 'HAMMER' spacecraft to save Earth from cataclysmic asteroid impact". Mirror. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  4. Whitwam, Ryan (9 March 2018). "NASA Designs HAMMER Spacecraft to Deflect or Nuke Dangerous Asteroids". ExtremeTech. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  5. Vergano, Dan (7 March 2018). "Government Scientists Have A Plan For Blowing Up Asteroids With A Nuke". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  6. "NASA May Build 'HAMMER' Spacecraft To Blow Up Earth-Bound Asteroid". NDTV. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  7. Mamiit, Aaron (11 March 2018). "NASA HAMMER Spacecraft May Save The World In The Future From An Incoming Asteroid". TechTimes. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  8. Options and uncertainties in planetary defense: Mission planning and vehicle design for flexible response. Acta Astronautica. Volume 143, February 2018, Pages 37-61. Brent W. Barbee, Megan Bruck Syal, etal. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.10.021.
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