Bringing down Phobos

The moon Phobos is a potential threat for future Mars colonists. Therefore, a first step to prepare Mars for colonization can be the Bring down of Phobos.

Collision with Asteroid

With a small amount of fuel it might be possible to accelerate a small object from the asteroid belt towards mars. The trajectory is controlled by maneuvering rockets during the journey. It ends in a collision with Phobos in an appropriate angle in order to reduce orbital speed of Phobos, which finally results in a crash onto the surface of Mars.

Results

The crash has a global impact on the Mars atmosphere and climate. Dust that is evaporated into the atmosphere temporarily reduces the sunlight on the surface. On the other side a huge amount of water steam causes a greenhouse effect in medium-term, which will increase the planet's temperature in a couple of years.