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Scientists stress the need for global protocol

HYDERABAD: As the threat of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) hitting the planet in the not-so-distant future continues, the scientific community is stressing the need for evolving a global protocol and policy framework for developing technologies useful for deflecting these objects from the earth’s orbit.

Faced with the absence of any efforts to consider the possible hazards like Apophis — the more than 400-metre asteroid that is likely to hit the earth in 2036 — leading scientists are calling for international collaboration for detection of objects, mission planning and research related to their deflection.

“Continuous funding for developing critical technologies and other long-term efforts are needed to tackle such issues which are global in nature,” William Ailor, director of the Centre for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies of the U.S. Aerospace Corporation, said.

Expressing concern over the threat posed by asteroids like Apophis in the long term, Dr. Ailor underlined the need for including 50 metres to 140 metres class NEOs in the mandate for disaster management agencies and conduct impact response exercises. Efforts should be made to detect 90 per cent of the NEOs with more than one kilometre diameter by 2008 and protocols and thresholds of action should be evolved to counter such threats.

Dr. Ailor delivered a lecture on Earth Threatening Asteroids as part of the 58th IAC that started here on Monday.

Options for deflection of the NEO through a series of nuclear devices, kinetic impact to deflect it from its course and mining the surface of the asteroid were being explored, but these required huge funds that would run into a few billions of dollars.

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