Planetary Defense

There are Plenty of Uses for Powerful Lasers in Space. But Where Should We Put Them?

Asteroids, de-star, Earth, Lagrange points, laser propulsion, Planetary Defense, Potentially Hazardous Asteroids, Potentially Hazardous Objects, space laser, Technology / By

Is it time for space lasers yet? Almost. As time passes, ideas that were once confined to the realm of science fiction become more realistic. It’s true of things like using robots to explore other worlds. Space lasers are a well-used element in science fiction, and we’re approaching the time when they could become a …

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Launch of asteroid deflection demonstrator slips to November

ASI, Asteroids, CubeSats, DART, Deployable Space Systems, Didymos, Dimorphos, DRACO, Electric Propulsion, Falcon 9, Italy, JHUAPL, Launch, LICIACube, Mission Reports, NASA, News, NEXT-C, Planetary Defense, Planetary Science, Roll-Out Solar Array, Solar System, Space Launch Complex 4-East, SpaceX, Vandenberg Air Force Base / By

NASA’s DART spacecraft is prepared for thermal testing in February. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman The launch of a NASA spacecraft designed to smash into an asteroid to try out a technique that could protect Earth from threatening space rocks has slipped from July until November, at the earliest, after development delays partially caused by …

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