NASA creates new office to detect Near-earth objects

NASA has come up with a new office that will check detection of potential asteroids crashes and ‘planning for planetary defense’. The Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), a part of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, will monitor near-earth objects (NEOs), like asteroids and comets.

The new office will have the responsibility and right to warn about the NEO approaches and their potential impacts. The office will also head interagency and intergovernmental response efforts in any chance of potential impact events.

PDCO will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the US Department of Defense. The office will also have the task to supervise all the NASA-funded projects of NEOs. Over 13,500 near-earth objects of varying sizes have been discovered till date. Over 95% of them have been detected since 1998 when NASA-funded surveys have started. Every year, around 1,500 NEOs are detected.

John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said, “While there are no known impact threats at this time, the 2013 Chelyabinsk super-fireball and the recent 'Halloween Asteroid' close approach remind us of why we need to remain vigilant and keep our eyes to the sky”.

With the establishment of the new office, NASA has expanded its efforts with regard to worldwide planning for planetary defense. Lindley Johnson, longtime NEO program executive, said that the formalization of the new office proves that NASA is commited to perform a leadership role in national and international efforts to detect NEOS and also to be an active part of planning required for planetary defense.

More than 90% of NEOs larger than 3,000 feet have already been discovered. Now, NASA’s current focus is on finding objects that are 450 feet or larger. NASA has remained an active member of finding asteroids that can prove hazardous. NASA was tasked to find out 90% of this class of NEOs by 2020.