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Originally Posted by NoSoup
If I remember Correctly, if we were able to detect an object that was on a trajectory to smash into earth a minimum of three years in advance, we could literally just paint it white and the trajectory would be so different that it would miss earth by a substantial gap.
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I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but this isn't very likely. Photons don't impart any momentum when they strike an object, and solar particles aren't going to be affected by an object's albedo (amount of light that it reflects. If you installed a solar sail, you could change the orbit enough in 3 years assuming a small enough object, but we're back to the installation problem, which is also there for the painting idea. Sorry, this just wouldn't work, unless I've missed a part of the process.
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Originally Posted by NoSoup
As far as current technology goes, I would imagine our best bet at attempting to change a comet/asteroid's path would have to involve lasers, since we just don't have the technology to intercept the object while it is still suffeciently far from earch. Sending nukes would be another option, but an unpredictable one.
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To the best of my knowledge, no one has orbital lasers right now, although that was what was suggested as part of the Reagan "Star Wars" project. It is certainly possible to orbit a large laser, but the mechanics of it would be difficult given that the laser will be orbiting the earth while firing at an object hundreds of thousands of miles away (at least). There's also been no credible test that I know of about the disipation of energy of this kind of distance. I imagine that there would be some loss of focus over such a great distance. However, most, if not all of these could be overcome, given enough time. Three years MIGHT be enough time, but it were my project, I would want at least 5 to get everything tested and orbited. You'd probably want several firings to move the object enough to get it moved enough, so power might be a problem too, depending on what you intend to use.