Editing Asteroid impact avoidance (section)

=== Asteroid laser ablation ===
{{main|Asteroid laser ablation}}

Similar to the effects of a nuclear device, it is thought possible to focus sufficient laser energy on the surface of an asteroid to cause flash vaporization / ablation to create either in impulse or to ablate away the asteroid mass. This concept, called [[asteroid laser ablation]] was articulated in the 1995 SpaceCast 2020<ref>{{cite web|url=http://csat.au.af.mil/2020/index.htm|title=Welcome to SpaceCast 2020|work=Center for Strategy and Technology|publisher=Air University|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302104514/http://csat.au.af.mil/2020/index.htm|archive-date=2009-03-02}}</ref> white paper "Preparing for Planetary Defense",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nss.org:8080/resources/library/planetarydefense/1994-DetectionAndInterceptionOfAsteroidsOnCollisionCourseWithEarth.pdf |title=Preparing for Planetary Defense: Detection and Interception of Asteroids on Collision Course with Earth |access-date=2016-05-22 |archive-date=2016-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625011024/http://www.nss.org:8080/resources/library/planetarydefense/1994-DetectionAndInterceptionOfAsteroidsOnCollisionCourseWithEarth.pdf |url-status=dead }}<br />{{cite report|title=SpaceCast 2020|chapter=Preparing for Planetary Defense|chapter-url=http://csat.au.af.mil/2020/papers/app-r.pdf|publisher=Air University|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026185205/http://csat.au.af.mil/2020/papers/app-r.pdf|archive-date=2010-10-26}}</ref> and the 1996 Air Force 2025<ref>{{cite web|url=http://csat.au.af.mil/2025/index.htm|title=Welcome to Air Force 2025|work=Center for Strategy and Technology|publisher=Air University|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220115949/http://csat.au.af.mil/2025/index.htm|archive-date=2008-12-20}}</ref> white paper "Planetary Defense: Catastrophic Health Insurance for Planet Earth".<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.nss.org:8080/resources/library/planetarydefense/1996-PlanetaryDefense-CatstrophicHealthInsuranceForPlanetEarth-Urias.pdf |title=Air Force 2025|chapter=Planetary Defense: Catastrophic Health Insurance for Planet Earth|author=John M. Urias |author2=Iole M. DeAngelis |author3=Donald A. Ahern |author4=Jack S. Caszatt |author5=George W. Fenimore III |author6=Michael J. Wadzinski |date=October 1996|chapter-url=http://csat.au.af.mil/2025/volume3/vol3ch16.pdf|publisher=Air University|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717145438/http://csat.au.af.mil/2025/volume3/vol3ch16.pdf|archive-date=2007-07-17}}</ref> Early publications include C. R. Phipps "ORION" concept from 1996, Colonel Jonathan W. Campbell's 2000 monograph "Using Lasers in Space: Laser Orbital Debris Removal and Asteroid Deflection",<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nss.org:8080/resources/library/planetarydefense/2000-LaserOrbitalDebrisRemovalAndAsteroidDeflection-Campbell.pdf |title=Using Lasers in Space: Laser Orbital Debris Removal and Asteroid Deflection|access-date=2016-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005024315/http://www.nss.org:8080/resources/library/planetarydefense/2000-LaserOrbitalDebrisRemovalAndAsteroidDeflection-Campbell.pdf |archive-date=2016-10-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and NASA's 2005 concept Comet Asteroid Protection System (CAPS).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nss.org:8080/resources/library/planetarydefense/2005-CometAsteroidProtectionSystem(CAPS)-NASA.pdf |title=Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS): Preliminary Space-Based System Concept and Study Results|access-date=2016-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625020733/http://www.nss.org:8080/resources/library/planetarydefense/2005-CometAsteroidProtectionSystem(CAPS)-NASA.pdf |archive-date=2016-06-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Typically such systems require a significant amount of power, such as would be available from a [[Space-based solar power|Space-Based Solar Power Satellite]].

Another proposal is the Phillip Lubin's DE-STAR<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deepspace.ucsb.edu/projects/directed-energy-planetary-defense|title=DE-STAR}}</ref> proposal:

* The [[Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and ExplorRation|DE-STAR]] project,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spie.org/news/lubin-video|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609084807/http://spie.org/x104781.xml|url-status=dead|title=Philip Lubin: A space-based array for planetary defense|archivedate=June 9, 2015|website=spie.org}}</ref> proposed by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is a concept modular solar powered 1&nbsp;μm, [[near infrared]] wavelength, laser array. The design calls for the array to eventually be approximately 1&nbsp;km squared in size, with the modular design meaning that it could be launched in increments and assembled in space. In its early stages as a small array it could deal with smaller targets, assist [[solar sail]] probes and would also be useful in cleaning up [[space debris]].