# So, how much energy \*does\* it take to fire a pound of bacon into the Asteroid Belt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131 "2009-11-03T04:03:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131/61 "2009-11-06T22:55:30Z")
Since we’re talking about E=m(c squared), in theory the bacon’s mass would be interchangeable with the mass of anything else. I’m doubtful that calories are relevant to niclear fission or fusion, though I could certainly be wrong. But there must be some kind of efficiency factor based on the methodology of conversion and the material being fissioned or fused. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131/62 "2009-11-14T09:15:05Z")
**Corner Case** said: > [@](#): > > It doesn’t matter. The FAA and NORAD will monitor the Domestic Events Network and determine that no one knows what this object, launched from the surface, is, nor where it is headed. NORAD will dispatch two F-16 fighters. I think fighters might be slow getting there, depending upon the launch point. They’d likely hit it with an anti-ballistic missile missile. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131/63 "2009-11-14T19:33:19Z")
Correction: They’d likely fire at it with an anti-ballistic missile missile. But since the bacon doesn’t have any transponders for them to home in on, they’d probably miss. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131/64 "2009-11-14T23:25:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Correction: They’d likely fire at it with an anti-ballistic missile missile. But since the bacon doesn’t have any transponders for them to home in on, they’d probably miss. Of course they’d miss. You need an anti-bacon missile for that job. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131/65 "2009-11-15T05:53:55Z")
But who would want to build an anti-bacon missile? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131/66 "2009-11-15T07:01:25Z")
The turkey sausage industry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-fire-a-pound-of-bacon-into-the-asteroid-belt/516131.md?page=3)