[meteorite-list] Asteroid 2004 MN4: A Really Near Miss!

[Darren Garrison]

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 21:35:39 -0600, "Sterling K. Webb" <kelly at bhil.com> wrote:

>         The delta-V required to match up with it would probably be, you'll pardon the
>     expression, astronomical.  And, then, after you've had the space walk, the flag planting,
>     the call from the President, etc., you still have to get back before you, too, disappear
>     into the Wild Black Yonder. Another big hunk of delta-V.

You don't need to land on it-- just throw something at it to knock off chips, a-la Deep Impact.
Angle the impact right, and you should throw some of them towards Earth.  And some might be at an
angle/velocity that they could orbit (you'd have 24 years to plan the pool shot necessary).  And if
chunks of it enter the atmosphere, what of it?  They probably wouldn't be any bigger/more dangerous
than the usual meteorites entering the atmosphere (and might even survive to be collected then).
Given a quarter century and the resources of all interested space-aware nations (those with a space
program and those wanting a space program) I do not see any reason something could not be put into
the right orbit to knock off a chunk or two.  And wouldn't it be worth the relatively small cost to
orbit a satelite for the chance of getting a pristine asteroid sample?