Conference Update: ISDC 2006 Has Session on Planetary Defense (Currently Accepting Paper Abstracts)

The 25th International Space Development Conference (ISDC) will take place in Los Angeles from May 4-7, 2006. Sponsored by the National Space Society (NSS) and the Planetary Society, ISDC is a conference for specialists and non-specialists on a wide variety of topics, as NSS states: "ISDC 2006 will feature dozens of presentations, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and activities spanning the entire spectrum of space-related issues: exploration, tourism, science, technology, policy, and commerce."

ISDC 2006 will also have particular sessions on NEOs and planetary defense (Sessions 4.6 and 4.7 respectively).

Some of the speakers related to the topic of NEOs will include:
- Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut; Chairman, B612 Foundation
- Brig. Gen. Simon "Pete" Worden (USAF, Ret.)
- Dr. Brian Marsden, Director, Minor Planets Center, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Note:
Abstract deadline: Monday, February 1, 2006
Manuscript deadline: Friday, April 22, 2006

Link: Paper submission

Link: Main ISDC 2006 Conference

Article on New Pan-STARRS Telescopes Which Will Help in Asteroid Detection

"The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) project will deeply scan most of the night sky several times a month...Objects as dim as 24th magnitude—250 times fainter than objects detected by the current champ in asteroid spotting LINEAR—will pop out of the background and be analyzed for their threat potential...Pan-STARRS will bolster the Earth’s early warning system for threats from asteroids and comets."

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ESA Don Quijote Asteroid Mission

Don Quijote is an asteroid investigation, geophysical characterisation and deflection technological experiment mission.

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Wayback: The 2004 Planetary Defense Conference

For those who have not seen it, from a few years ago. The Planetary Defense Conference: Protecting Earth from Asteroids (February 23-26, 2004). Site includes video and output papers.

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Article on the Asteroid Tractor

"Astronauts push for strategies, spacecraft to prevent calamitous asteroid strike: Are we ready for doomsday?"

Source: Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press (via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), 28 November 2005

"An 'asteroid tractor,' which would use the gentle gravitational attraction between spacecraft and asteroid to help change the asteroid's course. The tractor's thrusters are angled away to avoid breaking up the asteroid."

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NASA Administrator Mentions Planetary Defense in Speech

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin:
"...And I'm also very intrigued by Ed Lu and Rusty Schweickart's ideas about nudging large near-Earth asteroids before they can pose a threat to humanity. We will most certainly continue our work to discover large asteroids close to the Earth."

Sorce: Science and Exploration; Speech by Michael Griffin to the American Geophysical Union," 07 December 2005.

Link: SpaceRef.com

Link: NASA

Conference: "Near Earth Objects: A Natural Hazard of Global Proportions"

Near Earth Objects: A Natural Hazard of Global Proportions, 23 November 2005, Royal Aeronautical Society, London

"This conference will consider the different types of near Earth objects, how we identify and track them, what would be needed to deflect a near-Earth object from an Earth colliding trajectory and how we communicate these issues at a public, scientific and political level."

Link: Press Release

Link: Conference

Selected Planetary Defense Books (Holiday Gifts)

Here are several relevant books related to the asteroid threat. These texts may not be for the general public but can be utilized for a more detailed analysis of the issue.

- "Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids" (University of Arizona Space Science Series) by Tom Gehrels (Editor), Mildred Shapley Matthews (Editor), A. M. Schumann (Editor)
Link: Amazon.com

- "Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling" by John S. Lewis
Link: Amazon.com

Gravitational Tractor Concept and B612 Foundation

Latest news from the B612 Foundation including new paper about the gravitational tractor for towing asteroids (concept paper by Ed Lu and Stan Love).

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Article on Japan's Hayabusa Mission and Planetary Defense

"Asteroid Probe Yields Insight For Planetary Defense"
Leonard David, Space.com, 14 December 2005

"My personal opinion is that results from the Hayabusa mission can be used to engineer more robust strategies for future asteroid rendezvous missions," said Daniel Scheeres, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor."

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