Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to re: Griffin tries to pitch "lifeboat Mars"

re: Griffin tries to pitch "lifeboat Mars"
E.P. — (archived)

No, the kob can not be done right with ground based resources.

Why?

The smallest impactors that are a hazard, simply can not be seen passively, because of their low albedo. You have illuminate them, either in the radio or optical range.

How do we know this? Because, the spectra of a sample of the small impactors which burst every year at altitude have been measured.

The largest impactors that are a hazard are comets, not asteroids.

How do we know this? Because the scaling laws that relate crater size to explosive force rule out asteroids as the cause of the largest craters.

Detectin comets as early as possible requires large amounts of power and a constant scan.

Neither of these can best be provided for in free space.

These points are covered in Mazanek's teams' study.

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