A Strategy for Modifying Planetary Orbit. Although it sounds absurd, the theory has gained credibility in the scientific community, with their paper being accepted for publication in the journal Astrophysics and Space Science . The idea is to move the Earth away from the Sun before it gets too hot. In 3.5 billion years, the sun is expected to be 40 percent brighter than it is today. But scientists expect the first damaging effects of its super hot rays to begin some 1 billion years from now when it's 10 percent brighter.
Satellites often loop around Earth or other planets to increase their speed.
An approaching probe is pulled toward the planet by gravity. Meanwhile, the planet continues to move in its orbit around the Sun, pulling the space craft harder before slinging it into outer space. Using this method astronomers have sent satellites millions of miles out of their way to speed them up by thousands of miles per hour. In a variation on the technique, a 62-mile wide object, such as an asteroid, shot past the Earth thousands of times could gradually pull the planet away from the Sun. The process would need to be repeated once every 20,000 years to keep pace with the sun's increasing brightness.