  This paper presents a novel approach to the robust design of deflection
actions for Near Earth Objects (NEO). In particular, the case of deflection by
means of Solar-pumped Laser ablation is studied here in detail. The basic idea
behind Laser ablation is that of inducing a sublimation of the NEO surface,
which produces a low thrust thereby slowly deviating the asteroid from its
initial Earth threatening trajectory. This work investigates the integrated
design of the Space-based Laser system and the deflection action generated by
laser ablation under uncertainty. The integrated design is formulated as a
multi-objective optimisation problem in which the deviation is maximised and
the total system mass is minimised. Both the model for the estimation of the
thrust produced by surface laser ablation and the spacecraft system model are
assumed to be affected by epistemic uncertainties (partial or complete lack of
knowledge). Evidence Theory is used to quantify these uncertainties and
introduce them in the optimisation process. The propagation of the trajectory
of the NEO under the laser-ablation action is performed with a novel approach
based on an approximated analytical solution of Gauss' Variational Equations.
An example of design of the deflection of asteroid Apophis with a swarm of
spacecraft is presented.
