Newswise — World experts are gathering this week to assess methods, including political, legal and policy issues, to protect our planet from impacts by asteroids and comets.
Today, there are some 900 asteroids and comets that are designated Potentially Hazardous Objects - objects large enough that could eventually threaten Earth. Evidence is building that impacts by asteroids and comets are not uncommon. Indeed, relatively small objects can cause local and regional disasters.
The meeting of worldwide authorities April 27-30 in Granada, Spain signals the first International Academy of Astronautics Planetary Defense Conference that will detail the safeguarding of Earth from asteroids.
"The Planetary Defense Conference is the premier international venue for sharing scientific research on Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and to examine possible mitigation strategies for those objects that may threaten Earth's inhabitants," said Dr. Ray Williamson, Executive Director of the Secure World Foundation.
Secure World Foundation (SWF) is pleased to be able to co-sponsor this important four-day conference.
"Because a NEO strike is an international problem, mitigating NEOs will require international decision making and international action, and this conference provides much of the information needed to take action," Williamson said.
Williamson, along with Brian Weeden, SWF's technical consultant, will present at the conference: The NEO Primer: A Tool for Collaboration, Communication, and Outreach.
Deflecting a threatening object
This week's conference will feature expert discussion of various topics, to help broaden the knowledge base and increase the range of scientific disciplines involved in planetary defense, such as:
* Detecting and tracking asteroids and comets that might be hazardous to our planet, * Characteristics of these objects, * Deflecting a threatening object should one be detected,* The nature of impact disasters, and political, legal and policy issues that must be considered as part of an overall mitigation strategy.
"This meeting will provide attendees with the current state-of-the-art in planetary defense," said Dr. William Ailor, co-chair of the conference and an employee of The Aerospace Corporation. He is also a member of SWF's Advisory Committee.
"Experts from all over the world will share their knowledge on asteroids and comets, on techniques that could be used to deflect a threatening object," Ailor added, "and on political and policy issues that could affect our decision to mount a defensive effort."
Recent discoveries
Ailor said that as more sophisticated tools are used, "we are finding evidence that humanity has been affected by past impacts."
As example, Ailor observed that recent discoveries point to an asteroid impact in the Atlantic Ocean some 2,300 years ago as possible cause for a tsunami that washed up the Hudson River at that time.
And, while it hit in a remote area, an explosion linked to entry of an asteroid or comet leveled over 500 square miles of trees -- an area larger than Washington, D.C. -- in Siberia in 1908. Recently, an object of approximately the same size passed very close to our planet, Ailor said.
"It's just a matter of time until we will need to take some action to avoid a potential disaster," Ailor pointed out.
"We are gradually increasing public awareness and appreciation for the threat posed by these Near Earth Objects," Ailor said, but we are still early in our ability to mount a deflection campaign. We have techniques that can be used, but we can't simply use a Space Shuttle to do the work, he said.
"We must act on a threatening object very far from Earth, so mounting a campaign will not be easy. This week's conference will highlight promising concepts to enhance our readiness for action," Ailor concluded.
For additional information on the International Academy of Astronautics Planetary Defense Conference, go to: http://www.congrex.nl/09c04/
About Secure World Foundation
Secure World Foundation (SWF) is headquartered in Superior, Colorado, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Vienna, Austria. SWF is a private operating foundation dedicated to the secure and sustainable use of space for the benefit of Earth and all its peoples.
SWF engages with academics, policy makers, scientists and advocates in the space and international affairs communities to support steps that strengthen global space security. It promotes the development of cooperative and effective use of space for the protection of Earth's environment and human security.
The Foundation acts as a research body, convener and facilitator to advocate for key space security and other space related topics and to examine their influence on governance and international development.
RSS