# NASA launches Comet Buster Probe. Anyone worried? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 12, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436 "2005-01-12T20:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/21 "2005-01-13T17:13:07Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Nevertheless it’s clear that this money should be spent on the War against Drugs. > That’s far more effective than some ‘science project’. LOL! The “war” against drugs is a joke! ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/22 "2005-01-13T17:39:25Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > Perhaps I shouldn’t have used the word gargantuan. You mean you didn’t start this entrire thread with the sole purpose of using that word? [ED] You know, I’ve always liked that word…“gargantuan”… so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence. [/ED] ---
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/23 "2005-01-13T18:08:52Z")
> [@Rooves](#): > > My first though was “Watch them alter its course into an eventual earth colliding orbit”. This was my first thought. Although I can appreciate the scientific desire to find out more about what’s out there and how the universe began, etc. It makes me uneasy that we’ll be using such brute force to find out instead of waiting until more sophisticated technology is developed. There’s just too much we don’t know to accurately predict what will happen when this thing smashes into the comet. I think that’s a very poor position to be in. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/24 "2005-01-13T19:03:19Z")
Imagine a mountain cruising through space. Now throw a car engine at it. I think we’re safe. To be less flippant, this thing lives between Mars and Jupiter and was actually lost for awhile after it was first discovered. The cause? Jupiter’s gravitational tug moved it enough that it wasn’t in its predicted location when they went to look for it. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/25 "2005-01-13T19:52:52Z")
I’ve gotta admit, these cosmotologists have one heck of a lot more going on than I ever gave 'em credit for. ---
**Author:** ![Noodles\_Fellicini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Noodles\_Fellicini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noodles_Fellicini)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/26 "2005-01-13T22:30:10Z")
The Saturnians and the Titanians will have the Comet People’s back after the Cassini-Huygens mission collapses the rings of Saturn (ruining their tourist-based economy, not to mention unbelievable long-tern meteor damage) and the probe lands on some mall on Titan. ---
**Author:** ![Taran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Taran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taran)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/27 "2005-01-14T03:59:39Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Wow. This _is_ worrisome. > > What if the Comet People decide to retaliate? Easy. We form an alliance with our former enemies, the Gamelons. \ ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/28 "2005-01-14T04:04:55Z")
> [@Taran](#): > > Easy. We form an alliance with our former enemies, the Gamelons. > \ Deslok! Deslok! Deslok! (Happy? Someone knows what you’re talking about. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/29 "2005-01-14T04:20:24Z")
> [@Taran](#): > > Easy. We form an alliance with our former enemies, the Gamelons. > \ We were at war with an Indonesian orchestra? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/30 "2005-01-14T12:31:54Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > but doesn’t this sound like a gargantuan misuse of government funds? Your ignorance makes me ill and angry\*. How is the cause of science, the broadening of the scope of human knowledge, the greater and deeper undertstanding of the universe, supposed to move forward while fools like yourself whine that we ‘tamper with things man was not meant to know’ or ‘play god’ or ‘misuse government funds’? It’s morons like you that make it all but impossible to get grants for the all the light emitting diodes, vacuum tubes, and human brains that I need for my research. Somebody link to the Onion article about mad scientist affected by budget cutbacks. I’m too pissed to find it myself. - Let’s see if anybody picks up on that reference. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/31 "2005-01-14T13:56:40Z")
> [@mornea](#): > > This was my first thought. > > Although I can appreciate the scientific desire to find out more about what’s out there and how the universe began, etc. It makes me uneasy that we’ll be using such brute force to find out instead of waiting until more sophisticated technology is developed. There’s just too much we don’t know to accurately predict what will happen when this thing smashes into the comet. I think that’s a very poor position to be in. We will also never get the more sophisticated technology if we don’t do stuff now, find out stuff now. And there are lots of comets to blow up. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/32 "2005-01-14T14:14:46Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > > [@Taran](#): > > > > Easy. We form an alliance with our former enemies, the Gamelons. > > \ > > Deslok! Deslok! Deslok! > (Happy? Someone knows what you’re talking about. 😃 ) No, the comet-people already have Desslok, we need Trelaina. (Some one else does, too 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/33 "2005-01-14T15:50:24Z")
Worried, hell no! I’m excited! I saw LIFEFORCE!!! Nekkid female space-vampires! Yeeehaw! Seriously, I do think this is damn cool. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/34 "2005-01-14T15:58:37Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Your ignorance makes me ill and angry\*. How is the cause of science, the broadening of the scope of human knowledge, the greater and deeper undertstanding of the universe, supposed to move forward while fools like yourself whine that we ‘tamper with things man was not meant to know’ or ‘play god’ or ‘misuse government funds’? > > It’s morons like you that make it all but impossible to get grants for the all the light emitting diodes, vacuum tubes, and human brains that I need for my research. Somebody link to the Onion article about mad scientist affected by budget cutbacks. I’m too pissed to find it myself. > > - Let’s see if anybody picks up on that reference. Calm down **Doc** , I’ve re-directed my attention to pumping vast sums of money into the space program to further our species throughout the galexy. So this type of research is good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/35 "2005-01-19T21:42:29Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Your ignorance makes me ill and angry\*. How is the cause of science, the broadening of the scope of human knowledge, the greater and deeper undertstanding of the universe, supposed to move forward while fools like yourself whine that we ‘tamper with things man was not meant to know’ or ‘play god’ or ‘misuse government funds’? > > It’s morons like you that make it all but impossible to get grants for the all the light emitting diodes, vacuum tubes, and human brains that I need for my research. Somebody link to the Onion article about mad scientist affected by budget cutbacks. I’m too pissed to find it myself. > > - Let’s see if anybody picks up on that reference. > **[EXS](http://exs.cx)** > > Votre magazine de presse ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/36 "2005-01-19T22:02:25Z")
It’s good to know some people still remember the classics. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/37 "2005-01-20T01:42:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, “Comet Buster” is typical media hyperbole. The plan is to hit it hard enough to create a crater & see what’s under the surface, but the comet is hardly going to be broken up. Shoemaker-Levy was broke up by just the gravity of Jupiter. I have no doubts they can smash the comet. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/38 "2005-01-20T02:04:21Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Wow. This _is_ worrisome. > > What if the Comet People decide to retaliate? I, for one, welcome our new Comet People masters. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/39 "2005-01-20T02:40:00Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > I know nothing of cosmological research but this seems kind of far fetched to _just_ see what is in the middle of that thing. Even if it does contain links to the beginnings of the universe. God forbid we try to learn anything about _that_. [/sarcasm] ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/40 "2005-01-20T18:52:24Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Shoemaker-Levy was broke up by just the gravity of Jupiter. > > I have no doubts they can smash the comet. Get some doubts. Jupiter’s gravity well is _far_ more powerful in this regard than _anything_ we could throw at a comet no matter how much lead time we had to prepare. This is gonna be like shooting a BB into a sand trap on a golf course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436.md?page=3)