Should full funding for dangerous asteroids be offered NASA to track and evaluate potential threats to earth?

Question

Killer Asteroid Tracking Project Faces Hurdles
By WARREN E. LEARY
The New York Times
WASHINGTON (March 11) - NASA can find and track most of the nearby asteroids that could hit and damage the Earth, but there is not enough money in its budget to finish the project within a 15-year deadline mandated by Congress , according to an agency report released Friday.

The report said there were about 20,000 asteroids and comets orbiting relatively close to our planet that could deliver blows ranging from destroying cities to ending all life.

These objects, 150 yards to more than a mile in diameter, represent about 20 percent of the asteroids and comets whose paths routinely pass between the Sun and the Earth’s orbit, it said. Rather than trying to detect, track, catalog and characterize all of the more than 100,000 “near Earth objects,” as Congress asked in a 2005 NASA authorization bill, the study said it would be more realistic to focus on those representing a real potential hazard.

But accomplishing this by 2020 would require using ground-based telescopes sponsored by other agencies for other purposes, possibly building a dedicated observatory for finding and tracking hazardous bodies and launching a spacecraft to observe the space around Earth from Venus. Such an undertaking, the report said, would cost more than $1 billion that the agency does not have.

Answer 1

Funding to NASA? Yes, but if USA thinks that they can save the earth (i mean lives) by its technology, they must stop spreading the garbage (wars - one after the other) and stop spending enormous funds for it.

In spite of wars, USA should divert funds to NASA and call for the global support on this mission. I am sure even terrorist countries will come forward with others.

Answer 2

The project should be fully funded because a collision between the earth and a small asteroid will likely destroy most life on our planet in just a few moments.
The answer which assessed global warming to be a greater danger than an asteroid collision unfortunately is way off the mark. Global warming can cause some areas of the earth to become uninhabitable, but other areas which are now too cold will become habitable. These changes will occur, not in a few moments, but over the course of several generations. Populations may be required to move to different regions, but they will not be faced with instant destruction as they would be if an asteroid struck.

Answer 3

No, and right this is why. Astronomers are able to hint many of the asteroids in area spectacular now. they are able to calculate if an asteroid will hit in one hundred + years. at the instant, there are a number of that are being monitored, yet they have under a a million% probability of hitting us. 2 that NASA are at the instant apprehensive approximately(that have an significant probability of effect) would hit in approximately 800 years, and except you're a very youthful individual you would be long ineffective via then. An asteroid as huge using fact the only that hit Earth 65million years are particularly uncommon (of course) and an asteroid that great is probably to have been observed via now or in the subsequent a number of years. Asteroids as huge using fact the only that created the crater in Arizona happen approximately each 30 thousand years, and that one hit approximately 25 thousand years in the past. And approximately 2012...forget approximately it. won't happen. that straightforward. To sum it up, think of approximately this; Do you think of if there become a gamble it would hit interior of right here few many years, that NASA may well be doing no longer something approximately it?

Answer 4

I would say this is indeed a must-to-do project. Because there have been news leeking out that there are more hazardous bodies threatening our earth.The probability of the asteroids hitting our earth has become more. This endangers the existance of earth. It is not a wise thing to say that we don't have money. They have the potential to get enough money for their project. All those people who oppose the activity of NASA should learn about the fore coming danger and try to be united in this issue.

Answer 5

The work of finding and monitoring all threatening (to planet earth) objects (asteroids, ort cloud bodies, etc.) is ALREADY being accomplished by various astronomy groups (amature and professional)! There is a web site (I believe it is maintained by NASA) where you can pull up a list of ALL such bodies, select any one of them, and then see an animation of that objects future (or past) path(s) within our solar system. Your can quickly determine the precise dates when they will pass closest to our Earth! I've "lost" the web site name due to "changing" computors but if you query Sky And Telescope Magazine they wil gladly steer you to the site! Its a really NEAT site!! Have fun!

Answer 6

It wont be just done by the U.S. it will be an international effort
involving a whole range of countries.The cost should not be carried by N.A.S.A. alone and other countries are already
moving on this issue.It has to be a co-operative effort so the cost burden should be alleviated.I believe docking with a comet indicates that part of the technology to deal with a potential problem already exists

Answer 7

funding for dangerous asteroids should be given to NASA and also to the european space agency or whatever its called

im suprised they have funding for dangerous asteroids and not funding to stop global warming as global warming is a more dangerous treat to this planet at the moment

Answer 8

yes im sure if possible we would like some kind of action to take place so we dont get wiped out i dont know about you but if it happens in my life time i want something done about it if something can be done.