The European Union funded NEOShield project: A global approach to near-Earth object impact threat mitigation

Abstract

Although discussions are underway within the Action Team 14 of the United Nations COPUOS, there is currently no concerted international plan addressing the impact threat from near-Earth objects (NEOs) and how to organize, prepare and implement mitigation measures. We report on a new international project to address impact hazard mitigation issues, being the subject of a proposal submitted to the European Commission in response to the 2011 FP7 Call "Prevention of impacts from near-Earth objects on our planet". Our consortium consists of 13 research institutes, universities, and industrial partners from 6 countries and includes leading US and Russian space organizations. The primary aim of the project, NEOShield, is to investigate in detail the three most promising mitigation techniques: the kinetic impactor, blast deflection, and the gravity tractor, and devise feasible demonstration missions. Furthermore, we will investigate options for an international strategy for implementation when an actual impact threat arises.The NEOShield project was formally accepted by the European Commission on 17 th November 2011 and funded with a total of 5.8 million Euros for a period of 3.5 years. The kick-off meeting took place at the DLR Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, in January 2012. In this paper we present a brief overview of the planned scope of the project.

Activities in Europe related to the mitigation of the threat from near-Earth objects

“…In the meantime, this study evolved to a common NASA/ESA study for a possible impact demonstrator mission called AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment) to asteroid Didymos (Galvez et al, 2013). The EC-funded NEOShield consortium (Harris et al, 2013) has studied technologies needed for a possible deflection mission. A major step forward in this field would be an actual demonstration mission.…”

Post mitigation impact risk analysis for asteroid deflection demonstration missions

“…The NEOShield project (Harris et al, 2013), for instance, constitutes an international consortium under European leadership to provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of NEO deflection possibilities. While local civil defense measures are mostly deemed sufficient to protect ourselves against small rocky asteroids such as the one that caused the Chelyabinsk air blast (Brown et al, 2013), active orbit deflection has to be considered for bodies above the hundred meter size range (Ahrens and Harris, 1992).…”

A global response roadmap to the asteroid impact threat: The NEOShield perspective

“…Thankfully, awareness of the asteroid impact threat has progressively grown during the last couple of decades, and several national and international dedicated efforts have been started; in particular, the NEOShield project is the largest international initiative ever undertaken in this field. With financing from the European Commission, NEOShield brings together 13 partners from 6 countries (Germany, France, UK, Spain, USA, Russia), to address scientific, technical, and strategic aspects of the impact hazard (Harris et al, 2013).…”