1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910781138703321

Titolo

Defending planet Earth [[electronic resource] ] : near-Earth object surveys and hazard mitigation strategies / / Committee to Review Near-Earth-Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies ; Space Studies Board ; Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, National Research Council of the National Academies

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Washington, D.C., : National Academies Press, c2010

ISBN

0-309-15721-8

1-282-78732-2

9786612787324

0-309-14969-X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (152 p.)

Disciplina

523.44

Soggetti

Near-Earth objects

Asteroids - Collisions with Earth

Comets - Collisions with Earth

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

""Front Matter""; ""Dedication""; ""Preface""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Contents""; ""Summary""; ""1 Introduction""; ""2 Risk Analysis""; ""3 Survey and Detection of Near-Earth Objects""; ""4 Characterization""; ""5 Mitigation""; ""6 Research""; ""7 National and International Coordination and Collaboration""; ""8 Optimal Approaches""; ""Appendixes""; ""Appendix A: Independent Cost Assessment""; ""Appendix B: Letter of Request""; ""Appendix C: Committee, Panel, and Staff Biographical Information""; ""Appendix D: Minority Opinion Mark Boslough, Mitigation Panel Member""

""Appendix E: Glossary and Selected Acronyms""

Sommario/riassunto

"The United States spends approximately $4 million each year searching for near-Earth objects (NEOs). The objective is to detect those that may collide with Earth. The majority of this funding supports the operation of several observatories that scan the sky searching for



NEOs. This, however, is insufficient in detecting the majority of NEOs that may present a tangible threat to humanity. A significantly smaller amount of funding supports ways to protect the Earth from such a potential collision or "mitigation." In 2005, a Congressional mandate called for NASA to detect 90 percent of NEOs with diameters of 140 meters of greater by 2020. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies identifies the need for detection of objects as small as 30 to 50 meters as these can be highly destructive. The book explores four main types of mitigation including civil defense, "slow push" or "pull" methods, kinetic impactors and nuclear explosions. It also asserts that responding effectively to hazards posed by NEOs requires national and international cooperation. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies is a useful guide for scientists, astronomers, policy makers and engineers."--Publisher's description.