Material properties for asteroid deflection*

Impulsive strategies to prevent asteroid impacts depend upon knowledge of asteroidal material state and response at extreme conditions. Numerical modeling of kinetic impactor and nuclear ablation scenarios to deflect or disrupt asteroids reveals sensitivities to equation of state, strength, and porosity. We report advances in material models for asteroid mitigation simulations. Equation of state development focuses on asteroidal materials, such as hydrated silicates. Shock experiments are being performed to measure properties of meteoritic material; initial sample temperature can be controlled from 100-1000 K, important for different intercept scenarios. New constitutive models allow improved thermomechanical response predictions for porous asteroids.