Given the risks, I think caution should be taken. That said, altering even a smaller asteroid’s orbit is a long and slow task. If done at all properly there will be plenty of time to adjust its orbit to make it safe.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
But if it’s broken, please please please fix it.
But if it’s broken, please please please fix it.
Fixing? Pfft! That’s ridiculous! Best we can do is sending you to die in space mining asteroids. Your rocket leaves in thirty. Tata!
i for one say we should mess with any asteroids that are on course to mess with us ! Take that you malevolent asteroids 😋 !
… we now have a proof-of-principle that we can deliberately modify the trajectory of objects orbiting the sun, especially the kinds of objects that pose the greatest threats to our species’ civilization if they were to hit us.
