Since I just read Lucifer’s Hammer a few weeks ago, I suppose I should be attuned to news like this — NASA designs nuclear asteroid deflector:
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center has designed a nuclear-warhead-carrying spacecraft, that would be boosted by the US agency’s proposed Ares V cargo launch vehicle, to deflect asteroids.The Ares V launch vehicle is scheduled to first fly in 2018. It would launch 130 tons to LEO.
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The 8.9m (29ft)-long “Cradle” spacecraft would carry six 1,500kg (3,300lb) missile-like interceptor vehicles that would carry one 1.2MT B83 nuclear warhead each, with a total mass of 11,035kg.