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Keep an eye on a bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Near Earth Objects (NEOs).
The NEO Preparedness Act calls upon the NASA Administrator to establish an Office of Potentially Hazardous Near-Earth Object Preparedness. That office would “prepare the United States for readiness to avoid and to mitigate collisions with potentially hazardous near-Earth objects in collaboration with other Agencies through the identification of situation- and decision-analysis factors and selection of procedures and systems.”
NASA has also been tasked to request the National Academy of Science to look into issues with detection of potentially hazardous NEOs and approaches to mitigate these hazards. The exact statement of task is still being hashed out, but that study should be underway in a couple of months or so, I’ve been advised.
According to Jim Green, Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, speaking at a recent meeting on outer planet exploration, part of the NEO assessment will focus on use of ground-based or space-based observations for NEOs and approaches to developing deflection capability.
It’s not within NASA’s charter to protect the planet from threatening NEOs, Green noted. Such a mission could go to the Department of Defense, he said, “but we’ll see how it goes.”
In NEO-related news, Green also reported on the huge Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico. “We have confirmed with the NSF [National Science Foundation] that they will fully-fund Arecibo operations in fiscal year 2008,” he explained.
Conversation between NSF and NASA about funding Arecibo operations in upcoming years has begun, Green said.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Current NEO’s NOT BEING ADDRESSED on Planet Earth:
A) Tornados
B) Hurricanes
C) Earthquakes
D) Tsunamis
E) Massive Floods
These and others are only mitigated for AFTERMATHS!! Prevention is for whatever reason, currently still “FORBIDDEN”!! Why??
I have been amazed at the slow acceptance of a new method to prevent these NEO’S destroying buildings, structures, shelters, barriers, and containers, since the inception of a new technology to do just that! Why does everybody just skip the most important survival PRODUCTS in our lives? Would improving these products embarass you more than getting killed by not improving them?
April 6th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I can see that this does not fit in with NASA’s exploration charter–however, this is where I feel that the Military can actually take a legitimate leadership roll. Because it is the Military’s job to protect the country from threats–I would assume that an asteroid impact ought to fall into this category.
Or perhaps a ‘privately owned’ company can do it–on a contract basis with the government…?
April 8th, 2008 at 7:02 am
In considering that an incoming asteroid might need to be nudged out of its path with substantial mass, perhaps a ring of orbiting captured asteroids that were being mined in LEO would be appropriate. If they were a government DoD or NASA protection scheme, they would be an enormous COST to maintain. If they were being mined by private commercial corporations, they would serve as both protection, and profitable source of resources. A small retainer from the government to use them in times of need for asteroid deflection purposes would encourage private development, and minimize costs to the governments. Let’s get this set up right from the beginning, so a government protection beaurocracy doesn’t get set up before private enterprise. Get the government to set up the criteria for the services needed - and then PURCHASE the services from the private sector. As the post office purchased mail service from the fledgling air freight industry and helped develop air travel.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
There is a synergy with developing the CEV and other Constellation hardware for the purpose of NEO deflection. Congress and space supporters must realize this to free up the most funding for both!
April 9th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Harmon, would you purchase a Shelter that will protect you from an asteroid? What about some of the Government Agencies?
April 11th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I remember a spectacular meteor strike in the nw US during the mission to shoot down the disabled spy satellite. A very interesting coincidence?