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Keeper of the Objects
cEnTiBeE writes that this is "not about the Matrix," but rather about Near Earth Object tracking. "It's accomplished by a staff of 2.5 people watching to see when any 'vermin of the sky' plan to pay earth a visit. This piece titled Keeper of the Objects is in the August '03 issue of Scientific American."
There are only 2 staff because the sacked the entire department previously, NASA begrudge handing over money to this project and has consistantly thought that the object tracking was not an important cause worthy of a whole research department (even though there are billions of objects that will cause serious damage to a sat if they are struck by it, then you have even more junk)
maybe when one lands in washington will they take it a bit more serious
It seems that things like this are like science fiction to many and are not taken seriously. This is a subject that should be taken more seriously and given some true thought. It shouldn't be left on the back burner until we find something of danger. Governments and people always miss where the true danger lies though, and focus too much on little things.
Mark Loeser
Could someone please enlighten me? I hear a lot about NASA and how our budget for monitoring dangerous objects has been way too low.
Are other countries partaking in this? I know we're not the only ones with a space program, and I've BEEN to observatories across the globe. Yet in all of these stories, I never read about a comparison between us and, let's say, France.
Are there any other countries that make it a point to monitor the skies for this stuff? How do their budgets compare to ours? I'm not saying "Go USA," I'm actually curious.
Seriously, any information would be appreciated.
Check out my NEO map from my astronomer days (before this whole interweb thing stole me away)
http://szyzyg.arm.ac.uk/~spm/
It works off the same data and basically plots all the positions every day.
The ability to track Near Earth Objects means the ability to track MAN MADE Near Earth Objects. Like Military Satellites including weapons platforms.
Guess what, the military don't like the idea of the civilian public they are "protecting" being able to do that.