Russia`s answer to countering asteroid threat to the Earth

A Russian scientist has proposed using ICBM`s to fight threats posed by asteroids hitting Earth

This week its been reported that a Russian rocket scientist thinks a Russian ICBM can be used to destroy asteroids that pose a threat to the Earth, specifically the Soviet-era Voyevoda ICBM or NATO classification SS-18 Satan missiles. This news comes four months after a powerful meteor struck Russia’s Urals region, injuring 1,200 people in the area.

Now, the Soviet-era Voyevoda (SS-18 Satan) ICBMs which have been in service since 1967 "...are well-suited for fighting suddenly discovered small [space] objects,” said Sabit Saitgarayev, a senior researcher at the State Rocket Design Center in the city of Miass in the Chelyabinsk Region.

These ICBM`s use the standard liquid fuel based on hydrazine and not the cryogenic fuel used in Russian heavy space rockets like the Soyuz which cannot be kept for long and is supplied directly before the launch. In essence, the latter rocket fuel type requires several days for prepping the rockets for launch and would not be favorable against targets discovered only hours before hitting the Earth.

For this reason, the scientist says the Voyevoda missiles are favorable as they can take off 10-20 minutes after an order is given for launch and are able to "destroy small space objects with a diameter of up to 100 meters if the missile is equipped with the third stage and if reequipped with a booster, the missile will be able to destroy space objects five-six hours before their collision with the Earth", he said.

Currently, the Voyevoda (SS-18 Satan) are 2 staged ICBM`s with a payload capacity of 8.8 tons, that can carry up to 10 warheads, each with a yield up to 750 kilotons (TNT). "The [missiles] can stay in the condition of their readiness for launch for ten and more years, after some reequipping,” the scientist said.

Now, the only other question is, how the vicinity of the asteroid blast with the missiles along with the blast fragments will pose a grave threat to our ever growing number of satellites that orbit the planet as well as the ISS crew in space. This is of concern since when in 2007 China tested a ground-launched anti-satellite weapon and was condemned for it due to the dangers of the thousands of pieces of debris in orbit that continue to threaten both manned and unmanned spacecraft. 

Source:  Russian Scientist Proposes Satan Missiles to Fight Asteroid Threats (Ria Novosti)