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I wonder if it makes sense also to deorbit Phobos (instead of exploding a thermonuclear device on the surface per Elon Musk suggestion). The resulting series o
by java-man 6y ago
I wonder if it makes sense also to deorbit Phobos (instead of exploding a thermonuclear device on the surface per Elon Musk suggestion). The resulting series of collisions might release enough CO2 to create a denser atmosphere.
- ColanR 6y agoI think the magnetic shield would still be needed, though, since the solar wind would otherwise just strip away the new atmosphere.
- java-man 6y agoDo both! I think the magnetic shield is an excellent idea.
- ColanR 6y agoIf we ever end of doing the deorbit, I really want to see a video of the impact. That would be intense.
- 0-_-0 6y agoWouldn't it take hundreds of millions of years for it to lose it's atmosphere without the magnetic field? It's probably much easier to just top it up a bit every few million years.
- marcusverus 6y agoThe energy required to deorbit Phobos is far beyond or technological means. It has a mass of 10 quadrillion kg
- java-man 6y agoThat's a good question, though I don't think it's exactly far beyond our technological means. May be a bunch of solar-powered rail guns ([0]) to fling a fraction of the Phobos mass into space. Now, to feel the need to install something like this on Phobos - is beyond our means, as a species. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_driver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_driver