Operation Barricade

Operation Barricade is a crewed international space mission that aimed to implement cutting-edge asteroid impact avoidance technology on the near-Earth asteroid 1997 SH17. In 1997, the asteroid was discovered to be on a collision course with Earth. Twenty months after its discovery, the asteroid was due to impact Earth. 
== Discovery ==
On April 2, 1997, astronomers in Hawaii discovered a fourteen-mile-long cigar-shaped asteroid that appeared to be on a trajectory that would take it to impact Earth on December 11, 1998. 
== Preparation ==
The spring and summer months were spent developing technology and acquiring surplus equipment from the world's space programs to reassign and send astronauts to meet the asteroid when it is still months away from Earth. 
== Mission ==
The mission was launched from Earth on September 22, 1997, and spent a week on the asteroid. The spacecraft arrived on September 29, 1997. It took six weeks to build a net around the asteroid and add thrusters to push it out of a collision trajectory with Earth. On November 13, 1997, the spacecraft left the asteroid and placed it in an orbit that circled the Earth and Moon, essentially making it a satellite of both the Earth and Moon. The spacecraft's capsule splashed in the Pacific Ocean on November 21, 1997. 
== Aftermath ==
The asteroid became a source of intense speculation from conspiracy theorists who believe the asteroid harbors ancient advanced technology from aliens. The international community saw this event as a victory for international cooperation, and during the spring of 1998, the summit of the newly formed S-17 forum. 
Category:Geopolitical history
Category:Germany
Category:History
Category:Military operations
Category:Organizations
Category:Space projects
Category:Technology
Category:United States
Category:Vega Aerospace