The Near-Earth Object Committee of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) will be represented by its chairman, Russell L. Schweickart at the annual meeting of the Science and Technology Subcommittee of the UN’s Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna, Austria from February 20 through March 3. The ASE, the professional society of men and women who have flown in space, appealed to world leaders and relevant international institutions at its 19th Planetary Congress in October, 2005 to recognize and assume responsibility for protecting the Earth from the infrequent but devastating impacts of near-Earth objects (NEO).
In his presentation to COPUOS Mr. Schweickart will review the status of work to provide early warning of such impacts and the technology to deflect them away from impact with Earth. He will propose that a critical missing element in protecting life on Earth from these impacts is an international decision protocol to enable timely, effective action when a collision is predicted.
The letter to world leaders and the papers being presented at COPUOS are available for interested parties on the ASE website at www.Space-Explorers.org. Enquiries should be coordinated through Mr. Andy Turnage, ASE Executive Director, 281-280-8172.
