# NASA launches Comet Buster Probe. Anyone worried?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436>\
**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:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**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, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/41 "2005-01-20T19:52:34Z")

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> [@Cervaise](#):
>
> 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.

But what if its a [Golden BB](http://badattitudes.com/MT/archives/000167.html)?

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**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/42 "2005-01-21T12:07:34Z")

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> [@Reeder](#):
>
> I have no doubts they can smash the comet.

You think maybe there are other objects that weigh about 400 kg winging around out there between Jupiter and Mars? Think maybe a few have already hit this comet? If your view is correct this particular ball of ice should’ve been smashed ages ago. Since it hasn’t chances are fairly good that we wont manage it either.

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**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 21, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-comet-buster-probe-anyone-worried/284436/43 "2005-01-21T18:49:45Z")

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It occurs to me that any clever person (or group of persons) willing to sacrifice their ethics could make a lot of money in a short amount of time selling prophecies of doom about this mission to the creduloids.

Maybe this question is worth its own thread. Hmmm.

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