From Russia With Love: Putin to Blow Up Asteroid Headed for Earth

[Luckymoose]

I'm writing him in for president of America in 2012.

 

[Tekee]

I'm writing him in for president of America in 2012.

He will usurp the American presidency through undemocratic measures be assured.
- BBC.

 

[Miles Teg]

God bless the British and all they've done for us.

 

[Gustave5436]

Is an 885-foot rock big enough to really worry about?

It depends on where it impacts and if you particularly care about any population centers which might be in the region. The meteor which caused the Tunguska event was perhaps 50 meters in diameter, compare to ~250 meters for Apophis. Another useful comparison is the 50 megaton blast of the Tsar bomb; Apophis's explosion could be an order of magnitude greater, and wouldn't necessarily be a thousand miles away from any inhabited area.

That said, its chances of impact are extremely small so it's really not worth worrying about.

The Apollo program, with contemporary technology lost only 3 people, meanwhile the boondoggle called the shuttle program has lost 14 people!!!

The failure rate of the space shuttle is about 2% per mission. The Apollo program had significantly fewer missions than 50, so if you count the Apollo 1 tragedy (which is arguable, since it occurred on Earth, not in space), the Apollo failure rate is worse.

Okay then, humanity is going. The Russians, Chinese, Europeans and Japanese all also want helium 3. I think the US will be there too.

I'd put my money on deuterium-tritium fusion. Much greater availability of resources and we've already got multiple projects working on the problem.

 

[Gustave5436]

double post

 

[Winner]

If it hits, this is where it could strike:



I see why the Russians are concerned

Anyway, it's very small. It could of course cause massive devastation in the area of impact and even greater one if it fell into the ocean, causing large tsunamis, but other than that, it is not really that dangerous.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

This is all fine and dandy, but can he win a nobel peace prize ?

 

[RedRalph]

You know what? If a really big one ever does come towards us, and the odds of it hitting are much smaller, it actually might be a good idea that we have at least some experience in diverting them, so this is a good idea, regardless of who announced it to the media.

 

[Azale]

If it hits, this is where it could strike:



I see why the Russians are concerned

Anyway, it's very small. It could of course cause massive devastation in the area of impact and even greater one if it fell into the ocean, causing large tsunamis, but other than that, it is not really that dangerous.

It could definitely ruin any Nicaraguans day though.

 

[Racsoviale]

one more vote for Putin as earth president here.

But he really should go up there in his own spaceship and fight the damned thing himself in a bare knukle fistfight.

Maybe now should be the time we establish a civilized way of determing who is gonna be world leader. And a fully fledged mortal kombat tournament between world leaders seems to be the way to go, to make sure the right man for the job gets it.

I would like to place bets on Obama going down in the 3rd round

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

It could definitely ruin any Nicaraguans day though.

It might open a second Panama Canal that way, too.

 

[SG-17]

Apophis is not on a course to hit the Earth, at least not on its first pass. They only want to hit it so that NASA and the ESA cannot land probes to do research on it.

 

[Gelion]

I'm up for a Zombie Tershkova and Zombie Gagarin team sent to the asteroid with a nuclear bomb. They can take Zombie Laika along for companionship.

Tereshkova is alive and well Cheezy.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Tereshkova is alive and well Cheezy.

That's just what they want you to think!

I was actually unaware of that. Suit her up!

 

[Gustave5436]

Anyway, it's very small. It could of course cause massive devastation in the area of impact and even greater one if it fell into the ocean, causing large tsunamis, but other than that, it is not really that dangerous.

The Tsar bomb could have caused severe burns to anyone within a 100km radius; the explosion from apophis would be an order of magnitude greater. It couldn't cause a global extinction event, but "not really that dangerous" isn't the wording I'd use, in the unlikely event that it does impact.

 

[woody60707]

You know what? If a really big one ever does come towards us, and the odds of it hitting are much smaller, it actually might be a good idea that we have at least some experience in diverting them, so this is a good idea, regardless of who announced it to the media.

lol, now that's spin folks. It's to bad your not a Repub, they could really use someone with you're skills.

 

[BirraImperial]

If it hits, this is where it could strike:



I see why the Russians are concerned

Anyway, it's very small. It could of course cause massive devastation in the area of impact and even greater one if it fell into the ocean, causing large tsunamis, but other than that, it is not really that dangerous.

The trajectory is awfully close from where I live... Could such an asteroid destroy Central America?

 

[RedRalph]

lol, now that's spin folks. It's to bad your not a Repub, they could really use someone with you're skills.

Well, what's wrong with the logic?

 

[bestrfcplayer]

If it hits, this is where it could strike:



I see why the Russians are concerned

Anyway, it's very small. It could of course cause massive devastation in the area of impact and even greater one if it fell into the ocean, causing large tsunamis, but other than that, it is not really that dangerous.

I'm mad that the trajectory is no where NEAR Poland. If it hit Poland, the world would be a better place.

 

[TheLastOne36]

We should be wearing I ♥ Putin rather than I ♥ NY t-shirts.