Videos

Aerospace Engineer Nahum Melamed – We need to be able to respond quickly with current technology

“The frequency of these asteroid threat events is higher than previously anticipated” Nahum Melamed, Aerospace Engineer

When we are faced with an imminent [short warning time] asteroid impact, we need to have the biggest and most powerful method to deflect it. And the HAIV is a device that provides this capability. Currently there are no solutions in place for imminent asteroid threats. We need to have this capability in place to respond quickly – a threat could show up tomorrow morning or in a hundred years. We don’t know, but the frequency of these events is higher than previously anticipated – a Chelyabinsk object could appear just about any day. When we have very few years or months we need to use existing launch technology, adjusted for planetary defence objectives, but it takes time to prepare it, so we need to have it ready to launch on-demand in short warning time situations.

I think your [EADP] initiative is very important. The general public is currently not educated and aware of the severity of this threat, and in some cases that averts thinking about the threat. We need to raise public awareness and public support for the planetary defence cause, so that governments will step up and support planetary defence initiatives, in benefit of the general public, both regionally and globally.

Ph.D Joshua Lyzhoft – a new Chelyabinsk or worse, could be prevented if EADP have a HAIV in place

“The Chelyabinsk event could have been prevented if we had a short warning time device ready to launch” Joshua Lyzhoft, Aerospace Engineer

I believe the HAIV is the best solution in short warning time situation in case of imminent asteroid impact – to be able to destroy at least 50m asteroid at its smallest. There are no other current alternatives that I know of, except perhaps the EKV by Raytheon for ballistic missile defence, but I don’t know how effective that will be for asteroid defence [that won’t be effective for asteroid defence, due to being an only 75 kg kinetic impactor capable of deflecting objects only much less than 20 meters in diameter].

What happened in Chelyabinsk was terrible and could have been prevented if we had detected it and had a short warning time device in place. The airburst over Chelyabinsk injured some 1200 people, but let’s imagine it wasn’t an airburst, it could have harmed and killed many thousands of people. I believe the EADP is a great idea and a great solution for the short warning time asteroid threats.

Prof. Joel Marks on the extinction threat from short-warning-time comets

“Current technology could be used for deflection if we have sufficient political will and informed educated population” Prof. Joel Marks, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy

Due to their short warning time and great impact compared to their size, comets are a much greater danger than asteroids, and here no 1+ years deflection methods are usable because we won’t get that long a warning.

Any effective deflection mission will take a lot of time, unless we have already got a kind of deflection infrastructure ready and available to be used before detection. Hence, there is a great need to have two ongoing main efforts: One effort to enhance the detection capabilities and another to enhance the deflection capabilities.

More about the danger of comets – National Geographic

Prof. Bong Wie strongly supports the EADP’s use of HAIV as the best short-warning-time-solution

“Anything can happen at any time, without any warning” Prof. Bong Wie, Aerospace Engineering

When having sufficient warning time, deflection is the best choice; however for short warning times, disruption is the only solution. The Chelyabinsk meteorite event was eye-opening for the whole planetary defence community because it was a damaging event that occurred without any warning at all.

Astrophysicist David S. Dearborn – “If you are not prepared, you deserve what you get…”

“Where will the next one be [impacting]?”  David Dearborn, Astrophysicist

There are currently two main methods for deflection of an imminent asteroid threat; an impactor or a nuclear explosive. The HAIV is the system that has been design to carry either one, consequently it is a system that will work in case of both the common small asteroids with short warning time and the far less common larger ones.

Ph.D George Vardaxis – on the HAIV as only current solution and EADP as a long-awaited initiative

“The EADP initiative should have been done sooner”  George Vardaxis, Aerospace Engineering

The HAIV is the best current solution for late warning events. At the present time there are other existent methods, however they do not have the capability to deflect an asteroid enough to effectively minimize its risk. By using the HAIV, Earth is given a better chance, with a much smaller percentages of the asteroid mass possibly impacting the planet, if any at all. In addition, being prepared and having a plan is crucial, since Earth is under threat every day, with small asteroids burning up in the atmosphere.

Computational Physicist Ben Zimmerman on HAIV as solution and EADP as global initiative

“One project to save the planet” Ben Zimmerman, Computational Physicist

In case of imminent threats, the HAIV is the only solution available. In case Earth faces a threat in less than 7 years, the HAIV is still the only current plan that will be able to work. The threat that asteroids possess should be taken seriously, because if undetected they could cause a lot of damage and injuries in the near future.

Prof. Bong Wie – presenting the EADP initiative as part of the 2012-14 NIAC study orientation

“Chelyabinsk meteorite gave us no warning time” Prof. Bong Wie

Prof. Bong Wie presents the HAIV concept at the PDC in Frascati, 2015. In case of a sufficient warning time longer than 10 years, deflection is the best solution. In case of short warning times, disruption is the only available option.

The HAIV is a two-body spacecraft, designed for late interception missions with short warning times less than 5 years, and can produce disruption, deflection, fragmentation or even pulverization of a targeted asteroid, 20 times more efficiently than any current methods.

Astrodynamicist Brent Barbee; the HAIV is the best solution and EADP an appropriate approach

“Low probability events, can and do happen” Brent Barbee, Aerospace Engineer and Astrodynamicist

Asteroids are random events, making them difficult to detect in time. Asteroids constitute a constant threat towards Earth, because even though they do present a low probability, they can and do occur, causing devastating effects.

The EADP initiative is inspiring and fascinating. Considering the fact that asteroids threat the whole world, it makes sense that the people of the world unite towards a solution for its defence.

Brian Kaplinger, Prof. Aerospace Engineering – EADP and understanding the asteroid threat

“Everyone on Earth need to be aware of it” Brian Kaplinger, Aerospace Engineering

The HAIV is an interesting concept because it combines several deflection methods, and it is a system which allow us to be ready for any asteroid threat.

It is very important to be prepared for an asteroid threat because it can happen any time, moreover it is also something that everyone should be aware of, to better understand the threat that it possesses.