Bizarre plot to MOVE Earth by 'slingshotting asteroids' at us could prevent fiery apocalypse
But this would be impossible for the Earth as its mass is enormous compared to even the largest asteroids.Every time a probe leaves the Earth for another planet, it imparts a small impulse to the Earth in the opposite direction, similar to the recoil of a gun. Luckily for us – but unfortunately for the purpose of moving the Earth – this effect is incredibly small.We would need 300 billion billion launches at full capacity in order to achieve the orbit change to Mars.
The material making up all these rockets would be equivalent to 85% of the Earth, leaving only 15% of Earth in Mars orbit., which work by firing out a stream of charged particles that propel the vessel forward.The oversized thruster should be 1,000 kilometres above sea level, beyond Earth’s atmosphere, but still solidly attached to the Earth with a rigid beam, to transmit the pushing force.
With an ion beam fired at 40 kilometres per second in the right direction, we would still need to eject the equivalent of 13% of the mass of the Earth in ions to move the remaining 87%.As light carries momentum, but no mass, we may also be able to continuously power a focused light beam, such as a laser.Even using the enormous 100GW laser plant envisaged by the
, which aims to propel spacecraft out of the solar system to explore neighbouring stars, it would still take three billion billion years of continuous use to achieve the orbital change.Scientists are investigating the possibility of using 'light sails' for space travel
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