The Next Generation of ECLSS: Life Support Outside the Earth-Moon System

In summer 2018, NASA’s chief scientist asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to establish a study to address the issue of the relative advantages and disadvantages of infrared and visible observations of near Earth objects (NEOs). NASA has had an NEO observation program for nearly two decades using ground-based telescopes to search the night sky for NEOs that are large enough to cause major damage if they impact Earth. Since 2005, NASA has been guided in its search by the requirements of the George E. Brown, Jr. Near-Earth Object Survey Act. In recent years, NASA has used a space-based telescope to aid in its NEO search and has studied the possibility of using a dedicated space-based telescope to continue this work. This report of the Committee on Near Earth Object Observations in the Infrared and Visible Wavelengths addresses the space-based telescope subject while acknowledging that there are many larger issues associated with detecting, tracking, and characterizing NEOs. In December 2018, an asteroid exploded in the upper atmosphere over the Bering Sea (western Pacific Ocean) with an explosive force initially estimated to be nearly 200 kilotons, or over 10 times that of the Hiroshima bomb. This event, which was detected by various sensors and spotted by a Japanese weather satellite, demonstrates that Earth is frequently hit by objects, some of which could cause significant damage if they hit a populated area, as happened almost 6 years earlier over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Currently, NASA funds a network of ground-based telescopes and a single, soon-to-expire space-based asset to detect and track large asteroids that could cause major damage if they struck Earth. In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine established the ad hoc Committee on Near Earth Object Observations in the Infrared and Visible Wavelengths to investigate and make recommendations about a space-based telescope’s capabilities, focusing on the following tasks: - Explore the relative advantages and disadvantages of infrared (IR) and visible observations of near Earth objects (NEOs). - Review and describe the techniques that could be used to obtain NEO sizes from an infrared spectrum and delineate the associated errors in determining the size. - Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these techniques and recommend the most valid techniques that give reproducible results with quantifiable errors.

The present research on Near Earth Objects (NEOs) is mostly limited on addressing the question on their number and how hazardous they may be to the Earth. Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) has submitted thousands of astrometric observations to the Minor Planet Center (MPC) resulting in discovery of hundreds of NEOS but much of their physical characteristics remain unknown. OSIRIS-Rex, a return sample mission, will visit 1999 RQ36, a carbonaceous asteroid, physical characteristic which could only be identified through other techniques of observations than just astrometry. Using VATT (Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope), we observed 11 NEOs using photometry with four broadband filters (BVRI). With this project where we combined two approaches (two-color plots, and comparison of relative reflectance normalized to V-filter with the real observed spectra), we were able to determine color of the 11 NEOs, and therefore had some clue about their physical characteristics particularly composition, size, structure, albedo…

Asteroids impact Earth daily. Some, like the Chelyabinsk Meteor that exploded over Siberia in 2013, can cause massive disruption to human enterprise (~$33M in damages) and thousands of injuries. To mitigate this potentially disastrous threat, our group has posited a phased laser array which would be used to direct energy towards approaching asteroids or other dangerous near Earth objects (NEOs). The laser array would ablate the NEO's surface, inducing mass ejection, that would then cause a reactant thrust on the NEO in the opposite direction of the laser. To verify this concept in a laboratory environment, this work quantitatively measured the thrust induced on basalt and other asteroid regolith simulant by a 350W laser array. By placing the sample target on a torsion balance and measuring its angle of deflection under ablation, it is possible to calculate the induced thrust per unit watt. This angular change is measured with a secondary laser that reflects off of the torsion balance into an optical position sensor. By comparing this paper's experimental results with prior theoretical and computational work, we can surmise a theoretical relationship between NEO size and required laser power for future NEO deflection missions.

Describes the capability of the Space and Missile Tracking System (SMTS), formerly called Brilliant Eyes (BE), to discover and track near Earth objects (NEOs)-asteroids and comets-as part of the defense of our planet. SMTS will consist of many identical small satellites in low Earth orbit. Each satellite will be equipped with multicolor passive sensors which include visible light, short-wave infrared (SWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) wavebands (among others). After outlining the nature of the NEO impact hazard, the paper describes the SMTS program, and SMTS's role in support of the Air Force Space Command's Space Surveillance and Planetary Defense missions. Data on SMTS's NEO detection range as a function of NEO size is provided for a range of conditions for both the visible and LWIR bands. SMTS's capability to observe the celestial sphere as a by-product of Space Surveillance operations is estimated. This result is used to estimate the probability of observing a NEO during a single pass for a variety of encounters. Finally, SMTS's capability to supply state and intensity estimates for meteors during atmospheric entry using stereo SWIR observations is discussed.

The Campo Imperatore Near Earth Object Survey (CINEOS) is an Italian survey dedicated to the search and follow-up of Near Earth Objects (NEOs). It is operated with the 90 cm f/3 Schmidt telescope at the Campo Imperatore of the Rome Astronomical Observatory (INAF-OAR) as a joint project with the Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale and Fisica Cosmica (INAF-IASF) in Rome. Since the end of 2001 CINEOS has covered about 4,250 sq. deg to 20th magnitude in the course of about 160 nights. This effort led to the discovery of 7 Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), 1 comet (167P/CINEOS; a member of the Centaur group) and a few other unusual objects including 2004 XH50 with a unique comet-like orbit. CINEOS has also contributed almost 2,200 preliminary designations and over 30,000 detections to the Minor Planet Center. About 20% of the survey effort was carried out at low solar elongations (LSE), although no object with an orbit interior (Inner Earth Objects, IEO class) or nearly interior to the Earth (Aten class) was found. The work at LSE was, however, very important to test survey strategies implemented with larger telescopes. We also provide the results of a CINEOS simulation on a reliable NEO population model based on the results of two larger scale surveys, Spacewatch and LINEAR.

Recent year, as technologies and research have unprecedently grow in a fast speed, humans exploration toward outer space become enormous. Several private space exploration and aerospace manufacture corporations, such as SpaceX, have come into public which symbolize the development of human society and start to reshape the human civilization. Near Earth Objects(Neos) or Potential Hazard Asteroids(PHAs) have gradually focused by scientists. With the emerging of Neos observations, it has become vigilant that Neos impact to human civilization is obviously destructive refer to the distinction dinosaur. Neo impact technologies and strategies are tremendously vital in resort of continuing human civilization. This paper presents the time frame of launching of satellite and space station and their function of exploration and the information about near earth objects including its feature and propose several possible solutions toward Neos for short time scales and long times scales including nuclear explosive devices, kinetic impactor, asteroid gravity tractor and asteroid laser ablation. These methods have been list with their advantages and disadvantages and evaluation will be taken from the prospective of successful rate, time, efficiency and cost.

739 observed NEAs and new 2–4 m survey statistics within the EURONEAR network

Deflecting NEOs in Route of Collision with the Earth

We carried out a set of simulations to reproduce the performance of wide-field NEO surveys based on the revised population model of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) constructed by Morbidelli (2006). This is the first time where the new model is carefully compared with discovery statistics, and with the exception of population model, the simulation is identical to the procedure described in Moon et al. (2008). Our simulations show rather large discrepancy between the number of NEO discoveries made by the actual and the simulated surveys. First of all, unlike Bottke et al. (2002)s, Morbidelli (2006)s population model overestimates the number of NEOs. However, the latter reproduces orbit distributions of the actual population better. Our analysis suggests that both models significantly underestimate Amors, while overestimating the number of Apollos. Our simulation result implies that substantial modifications of both models are needed for more accurate reproduction of survey observations. We also identify Hungaria region (HU) to be one of the most convincing candidates that supply a large fraction of asteroids to the inner Solar System.

Real-time near Earth objects (NEO) detection is a problem requiring large processing capabilities due to the large CCD arrays and computation intensive algorithms to ensure system efficiency. The paper summarises the results and recommendations from the study for the use of a modular-MPC (massively parallel computer) as a cost-effective solution for real-time NEO detection.

With the increase of human activities in space, a large number of space artifacts have been generated around the Earth which called Near Earth Objects (NEO), most of which are space debris. CMOS image sensor can achieve very high frame rate by electronical shutter and suitable for NEO observation with its fast moving. For space objects observation, key technologies of a large-format and high-rate scientific CMOS camera were studied, including low-noise readout and low-interference refrigeration technology, real-time processing algorithm, high-speed data transmission technology, system integration technology and high precision timing technology , etc. A 4K*4K pixel scientific CMOS camera is introduced in this paper with 24fps rate in full frame mode and high timing accuracy of exposure synchronization with 10ns, which has great advantages for the initial orbit positioning of the space objects. The overall size of the camera is 143mm * 160mm * 168mm. The readout noise of the camera is about 4.4e-. At present, the camera has been installed and running at Xinglong Observatory.

Simulation and preparation of surface EVA in reduced gravity at the Marseilles Bay subsea analogue sites

In this work, the physical parameters of near-Earth objects (NEO), i.e. small celestial bodies crossing the Earth’s orbit, are investigated. First of all, the study of NEO, whose number exceeds 15 thousand, is important in terms of asteroid threats. NEO are mainly stony and iron, but also could be comet nuclei that had lost the icy component under the influence of solar radiation. As a result of analyzing 14800 near-Earth asteroids from the Apollo group, in this work near-Earth objects closely genetically related to the existing meteor showers are determined. 2002LV and 2001MG1 asteroids are the closest to the Kappa-Cygnids by orbital elements. 2014RS17, 2006BF56, 2001YB5 asteroids are the closest to the Delta-Cancrids by orbital elements. 2008VL14, 2006UF17, 2010VF, 2000DO1, 2010CF55, 2010TN55, 2007EJ88, 481482 2007CA19 asteroids are the closest to the Virginids by orbital elements. The D-criterion method was used in the analysis.

NASA officials told a U.S. House of Representatives Science Subcommittee on 3 October that a ground‐based survey to detect near‐Earth objects (NEOs) is on target for achieving its goals. The NEOs that are the subject of the survey are those 1 km across or larger, and could therefore cause devastating damage if they collided with Earth.Representatives of NASA, the National Research Council, and other agencies also told the subcommittee that astronomers and policy‐makers need to consider whether to expand the survey to scan for even smaller NEOs that also could inflict widespread damage to Earth on collision.

Paths not taken – The Gossamer roadmap’s other options