[FPSPACE] The latest NEO news

[Jens Kieffer-Olsen]

-----Original Message-----
From: E.P. Grondine [mailto:epgrondine at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 2:41 PM

> Hello everyone - 
>
> http://www.planetarydefense.blogspot.com
>

 From where I quote:
 
 They are considering the challenge of surveying potentially
 hazardous NEAs at smaller sizes, to reach 90% completeness
 at a diameter of 140 m. They are also considering a wide
 variety of techniques for characterization and mitigation.
 Congressional staff members have told the NAS-NRC steering
 committee that the Congress is interested in understanding
 how international collaboration should work in this area.
 This NRC study and recommendations should be completed at
 the end of 2009.

 End quote.

 1) It's very good news that they are 'considering' the
    challenge of surveying NEAs down to 140 m. Let's hope
    they'll come around to actually DO it soon.

 2) It's a waste of time and effort to consider mitigation
    at this point in time. They haven't looked deep enough
    into the crystal ball to realize that by the time an
    asteroid needs to be deflected because of an impending
    impact, already numerous other asteroids are likely to
    have been given orbital adjustments for entirely different
    good and economical reasons.
            
 3) It's indeed interesting for us all to understand how
    international collaboration could help. In reality,
    it's a treaty to govern mass-scale evacuation that
    we need. The US effort to protect the citizens of New
    Orleans against cascading waters and marauding crocs
    during the 2005 hurricane season was successful only
    because the evacuation and re-settlement took place
    entirely within the US international border.

--
Jens Kieffer-Olsen
Slagelse, Denmark