# Precise Orbital Tracking of an Asteroid with a Phased Array of Radio Transponders - Physics > Space Physics

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Abstract: Deflecting an asteroid from an Earth impact trajectory requires only smallvelocity changes, typically of the order of microns per second, if done manyyears ahead of time. For this, a highly precise method of determining the need,magnitude, and direction of a deflection is required. Although the requiredprecision can be achieved by much less accurate extended observations, anintrinsic resolution of $\mu$m-s permits the live monitoring ofnongravitational orbital perturbations Yarkovsky effect, and of a deflectioneffort itself. Here, it is proposed to deploy on the asteroid-s surfacemultiple radio units to form a phased array capable of measuring radialvelocities relative to Earth to about 1 $\mu$m-s and ranges to 5 m. The sametechnology can also be used for scientific applications such as very-longbaseline radio astronomy, milli-Hertz gravitational wave detection, or mappingof the solar wind.