The Politics and Promise of Near-Earth Asteroids

Near-Earth objects are viewed primarily as hazards. One is noted for killing the dinosaurs. This February, another much smaller object exploded over the Siberian city of Chelyabinsk in Russia, injuring more than 1500 people. The perceived threat drove Congress in 1998 to direct NASA to find 90% of asteroids having diameters exceeding 1 km. Recognizing the potential damage from another Siberian airburst over Tunguska in 1908, Congress modified their mandate in 2005 to include objects down to 140 meters in diameter. However, asteroids represent more than just threats, they represent the potential to expand human presence and economy beyond Earth. The Obama administration has committed to sending a crewed mission to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025 and it is planning to propose that Congress allocate $100M in 2014 to begin planning for a mission to return a 5 meter object to Earth orbit. A non-profit company says it will raise hundreds of millions in donations to survey NEOs to reduce the hazard threat. Private companies have started up with the goal of mining asteroids and turning a profit. Is this the Dawn of a new space age? Or business as usual?https://commons.und.edu/ss-colloquium/1040/thumbnail.jp