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Design blueprint derived from the source paper (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.24180091): This paper computes the performance of a gravity tractor of 40,000 kg hovering 40 m above the surface of a 180 m asteroid of mass 6,412,618,925 kg, so that its centre is 130.0 m from the body's centre. Mutual gravitation supplies a towing force of 1.01 N and an acceleration of 1.58e-10 m per second squared. Held for 8 years, that acceleration delivers 39.9 mm per second against a requirement of 18.5 mm per second for a 9,000 km displacement with eleven years of warning, a margin ratio of 2.15 and a computed separation of 19,381 km. This is a computed study of a deflection system for planetary defence, with no targeting or weapon application. It is simulated, not measured. Status: DESIGN BLUEPRINT — SIMULATED, NOT MEASURED — NOT BUILT. All numbers are simulated values from the source paper's computation, deposited with this blueprint as compute.py and results.json. AI-use disclosure: Dave, an AI research system, assisted with the computation and drafting under the author's direction; author of record William Alexander Aldred.
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William Alexander Aldred (2026) studied this question.
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