ASE - Association of Space Explorers patch.
May 12, 2017
Former Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier, passing through Geneva, is campaigning for an awareness of asteroids.
Astronaut Claude Nicollier: Image Credit: NASA
The former Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier, on his way to Geneva with the European Space Explorers Association, warns against the impact of asteroids on Earth. The probability that an asteroid hits the Earth is 100%, according to him.
"It will not happen tomorrow, not ten years from now, but maybe in fifty or one hundred years: we have to be prepared," Claude Nicollier said on Thursday. The Association intends to convey this message to decision-makers.
Asteroids passing Earth. Image Credits: ESA/P.Carril
Asteroids are relatively small objects, large non-spherical pebbles that sometimes pass relatively close to the earth, adds Claude Nicollier. An impact with the Earth will cause "considerable damage on a planetary scale or at any scale on a continent or a large country", he said.
Ionic Propulsion
It evokes giant tsunamis in the event of an impact in an ocean. An asteroid could even destroy life on Earth, he said. But according to space explorers, there are opportunities to detect them early enough and intervene to deflect their trajectory and prevent the collision.
"You have to go with a spaceship to hang on the surface of the asteroid and install an engine with ionic propulsion," explains Claude Nicollier. This low-fuel engine can change the trajectory of the asteroid over the years and decades, adds the ex-astronaut.
NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) program. Image Credit: NASA
Claude Nicollier spoke on the sidelines of an annual meeting of the Association of Space Explorers which gathered twelve astronauts in Geneva. This organization has a total of 49 people in Europe and 550 in all parts of the world. Only astronauts with at least one orbit are accepted into this club.
Talent and luck
To date, Claude Nicollier, 72, remains the only Swiss astronaut. The next generation is there, says the professor. "There are many young people with motivation and talent, but there are few places in Europe," he said. We need luck to pass the European Space Agency (ESA) selections, according to Nicollier.
While waiting for a future astronaut, Switzerland remains truly a space country, notes Mr. Nicollier. He cites special niches from watchmaking, precision mechanics, microtechnology and microtechnology. Many industries work for space, says Claude Nicollier.
Related links:
Association of Space Explorers: http://www.space-explorers.org/
Asteroid Redirect Mission - NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/initiative/index.html
Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: ATS/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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