Small asteroids and comets can be diverted/evaporated with aĭESTAR 2 (100m) while space debris is vaporized with a DE-STAR 1 (10m). Laser ablation of a Near Earth Object (NEO) on a collision course with Earth produces a cloud of ejecta which exerts a thrust on the asteroid, deflecting it from its original trajectory. The DE-STAR system provides such a thrust by illuminating an Earth-targeting asteroid or comet from afar with a stand-off system consisting of a large phased-array laser in Earth orbit. A much smaller version of the same system called DE-STARLITE travels alongside the target, operating in a stand-on mode, slowly deflecting it over a long period. Such a stand-on system would also permit directing the thrust in any desired direction through careful positioning of the laser relative to the asteroid. We present orbital simulations comparing the effectiveness of both systems across a range of laser and asteroid parameters.
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