Gravity-Powered Asteroid Tractor Proposed to Thwart Impact
After reading the article "Gravity-Powered Asteroid Tractor Proposed to Thwart Impact", answer these questions in complete sentences.
- In meters, what is the size of the asteroid mentioned in the first paragraph ?
- What is the mass of the proposed spacecraft ?
- Describe the interaction between the "asteroid tractor" and the asteroid.
- What analogy is used to describe the gravity attraction that pulls the asteroid and spacecraft together ?
- Why is a gentle thruster tug important ?
- Why are the spacecraft thrusters angled ?
- How much force do the thrusters produce ?