[StratComm]

The trouble with that is the fact that none of our nuclear launch vehicles can even make orbit, much less break it and intercept some chunk of rock a couple of AU's distant (as any successful interception would have to be).  The downside with ICBM's is that they are by definition balistic, and will return to the same altitude from which it was launched eventually.  It'd take more time to build suitable launch vehicles than to reconstruct the nukes.

[Rictor]

Guys, we totally need Bruce Willis in on this. He's a tough miner guy, just look at him; a manly man. Grrrrr. He'll fly up there with a wacky cast of fellow miners and drill the asteroid. And then sacrifice himself for the good of mankind (and some pretty-boy who's porkin' his daughter). Thats how badass he is.

Asteroids?
Pffft, they don't stand a chance.

[Bobboau]

actualy wasn't he an oil well driller?

[Rictor]

He can be both! That guy's a badass mother****er, he can be anything he wants. Besides, they're equally macho jobs.

In fact, all he has to do is stomp his foot down on the ground, and oil comes out. Drilling machines? We don't need no stinkin' drilling machines, we got Willis.

[Bobboau]

why couldn't he also be a lumberjack?
let us leave no natural resouce un-plundered

[Akalabeth Angel]

Actually I think one of the more important problems with any asteroid collisions is seeing the things in time. I think there was one rock a while ago that passed between Earth + the moon and wasn't seen until it was moving away from us.

As for Bruce Willis, if he kept yapping his gab any longer the whole of the Earth woulda been toast so it's thankful that he wasn't given more lines. Most self-sacrifice types should just push the button instead of giving some victory speech to themselves or the asteroid.

[aldo_14]

My impression was that the composition & density of many asteroids is such that even the use of a nuclear weapon wouldn't be guarenteed to divert it.

[Bobboau]

doing nothing is guarenteed not to.
unless your one of the 'faithful'