NEO Preparedness Strategy Released
National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy
“The National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy (Strategy) and the forthcoming National NearEarth Object Preparedness Action Plan (Action Plan) together seek to improve our Nation’s preparedness to address the hazard of near-Earth object (NEO) impacts by enhancing the integration of existing national and international assets and adding important capabilities that are currently lacking. The Strategy and Action Plan build on efforts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to better detect and characterize the NEO population as well as recent efforts at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare for and respond to a NEO impact. Together, they aim to foster a collaborative effort in which the Nation can better understand, prevent, and prepare for the effects of a NEO impact.”
The report seems pretty reasonable to me, but leaves out two details.
1) Who is going to pay for the additional NEO tracking spacecraft that are needed for discovery and orbital tracking?
2) What countries will NASA actually collaborate with to accomplish this plainly international task? In particular, will NASA still be forbidden by a few powerful members of Congress from working with China, the world’s second largest economy? or could we just once decide that the survival of our planet, and maybe our species, is more important than our petty squabbles and prejudices?
#2: No.