Conference on near Earth objects
On average, once every 1000 years an asteroid of at least 50 metres in size collides with the Earth, causing local devastation or producing tidal waves. European scientists will meet next week in London to discuss these phenomena and the action that can be taken to prevent them causing a global disaster.
The Royal Aeronautical Society Conference on “Near Earth Objects: A natural hazard of global proportions”, will meet on 23 November at the Society’s headquarters in London. Leading European scientists engaged in near-Earth object (NEO) research, as well as the engineers and policy makers who would be asked to respond to any impending threat from space, will make presentations during the one-day Conference.
The key point is to find the threatening object years ahead of time so that an international campaign can be mounted to prevent a disaster. Participants will be asked to consider the different types of NEOs, how they are identified and tracked, what would be needed to deflect an NEO from an Earth-colliding trajectory and how these issues can be communicated at a public, scientific and political level.
Andres Galvez and Roger Walker, both member of ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team, have been studying NEOs for a number of years. At the Conference Andres Galvez will make a presentation entitled “ ESA activities relating to near Earth objects” describing the asteroid-deflecting mission, Don Quijote, currently under study at ESA, while Roger Walker will speak about “ Deflecting Earth-bound asteroids with advanced nuclear and solar electric propulsion”.
The Conference is open to both members and non-members of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Those wishing to attend can register online at the Conference site or contact direct:
Melissa Warner
Conference & Events Department
Royal Aeronautical Society
No. 4 Hamilton Place
London W1J 7BQ
