Lasers 'Could Deflect Asteroids'

Satellite-operated lasers, not "Armageddon"-style bombs, could deflect asteroids headed for a catastrophic collision with Earth, Scottish scientists believe.

Researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow are floating the possibility that a flock of small satellites could fly in formation and fire solar-powered lasers at a threatening asteroid.

Massimiliano Vasile, of Strathclyde's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said his more subtle approach of using "a flotilla of small agile spacecraft" would eliminate the difficulties associated with other schemes that involve one large spacecraft attacking the asteroid.

He admitted, though, that there would be some challenges in perfecting his proposed technique.

"The use of high power lasers in space for civil and commercial applications is in its infancy and one of the main challenges is to have high power, high efficiency and high beam quality all at the same time," he said. Read More