In this example, each electrical impulse, each deflection on the trace, is caused by a brief pulse of light.

(a) Determine the orbital deflection of the asteroid as a result of the impact, to an accuracy of approximately 10 per cent

In the course of the work, a software package has been developed to simulate a possible impact hazard and to determine an optimal deflection strategy.

One of the three, the Don Quijote mission, one purpose of which was to attempt, for the first time, a deflection manoeuvre, was selected in 2004 for further study and possible implementation.

(a) The concept of a NEO precursor mission, as opposed to a costly fully fledged deflection mission test that could face a large number of uncertainties, had attracted considerable interest among the NEO community.

The Don Quijote mission was presented to the international community at the Planetary Defence Conference Protecting Earth from Asteroids, held in Orange County, California, United States of America, in February 2004, as an example of a NEO precursor mission, paving the way to an effective NEO deflection mission.