Can we fly at 28,000 MPH?

I recently came across an article discussing NASA's mission to the asteroid Bennu, and something about it caught my attention. According to NASA and various news sources, Bennu, a significant asteroid measuring one-third of a mile in width, is hurtling through space toward Earth at a mind-boggling speed of 28,000 MPH. The unsettling part is that it's projected to impact Earth on September 24, 2182, with a force equivalent to 22 atomic bombs.

What raises my eyebrows and prompts me to question the narrative put forth by NASA, along with media outlets and writers like Eric Ralls (earth.com), is the sheer speed at which they claim the spacecraft they sent to the asteroid is traveling. I've never heard of any Earth-made spacecraft capable of achieving such velocities as a adjustable and operated craft.

According to the reports, this spacecraft embarked on its journey to Bennu back in 2016 and covered a distance of 63,000 miles to land on the asteroid. Considering that Bennu is purportedly zooming along at 28,000 MPH, it seems implausible that a spacecraft heading in the opposite direction could change its trajectory and match the asteroid's speed to land, collect samples, and alter its course using onboard rockets. Without harnessing the gravitational pull of a planet to achieve such speeds, this tale starts to sound like science fiction.

What's even more perplexing is the assertion that this Sunday, the spacecraft will make its return to Earth faster than the asteroid itself, surpassing 28,000 MPH. We currently lack the advanced photonic thrusters or propulsion technology to make such feats feasible. In my research, I came across the notion that achieving such speeds might require detonating an atomic bomb behind the craft (Project Orion). Additionally, it's not just about matching the asteroid's speed; the spacecraft must surpass it and break free from its gravitational pull. Currently, our best ion drives can achieve only a "theoretical velocity" of 89 km/s.

In 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe (PSP), which is speculated to be traveling at speeds of 430,000 MPH. However, this mission doesn't involve a return flight, and it utilized a rocket to propel a probe in free space and not on a asteroid. It took seven years and multiple gravitational slingshot maneuvers around Venus to reach those speeds.

Upon examining the data, the numbers, the technology, and the velocities involved in the Bennu project, there are glaring inconsistencies. Yet, this project is funded by the hard-earned money of U.S. citizens. Furthermore, there's a motion in progress to increase space spending by at least 10 times the current budget, with the 2024 budget set at $30 billion, potentially increasing to a staggering $300 billion. This could lead to an increased cost of living, which is concerning.

It's disconcerting to witness the way things are described and how media sometimes treats theories as facts. The evolution of the internet and the rise of social media turned average individuals into reporters, with some eventually securing positions in credible news outlets. However, this shift has sometimes led to a departure from truthful reporting. Nowadays, news often involves copying stories from other sources rather than going out to discover genuine ones. Additionally, businesses tend to address customer issues only when news media becomes involved, damaging their public image. This has further eroded the reliability of news outlets since many people depend on news outlets for assistance and information.

Returning to the topic of space exploration, while we all share the aspiration to explore and colonize space, it's essential that we improve the way we communicate data. I hope that artificial intelligence can help us find new, more effective ways to convey information gracefully, as it seems that the art of meaningful communication is at risk of being lost in the shuffle if it hasn't already been fizzled to an echo of its former.