Asteroid Deflection: Do Repeated Impacts in the Same Location Increase Total Momentum Transfer?

Abstract Introduction 1.1 Planetary defense and asteroids Though an estimated 90% of near-Earth objects (NEOs) greater than 1 km in diameter have been identified and do not pose a significant threat for at least 100 years, only 1/3rd of NEOs larger than 140 m in diameter have been identified as of 2021 [1]. Asteroids of this size are large enough to cause region-scale damage, underscoring the importance of mitigation strategies. The kinetic impact method is emerging as a promising means of redirecting asteroids up to 1 km in diameter. This method entails ramming a spacecraft into an asteroid to change its trajectory, as was demonstrated in 2022 by the successful double asteroid redirection (DART) mission (JHU/APL & NASA) [2].