NASA Asteroid Detection Program Not Meeting Goals

ABC News Radio(WASHINGTON) — According to NASA’s Inspector General Paul Martin, the space agency is failing to adequately detect meteors heading towards Earth.

While most of the objects that approach the planet burn up before reaching the surface, detection of near-Earth objects is important to prevent incidents such as that in Chelyabinsk, Russia last year, where an 18-meter meteor exploded, damaging buildings and injuring over 1,000 people.

In 2005, Congress gave NASA the task of building a program that could track upwards of 90 percent of near-Earth objects over 140 meters in diameter by 2020. A review conducted by the Office of the Inspector General found that NASA has currently identified only 10 percent of all asteroids that size or larger.

Martin’s review also stated that the agency will likely fail to meet the 2020 deadline.

The review points a finger at limited personnel and resources, insufficient NASA oversight on grants and task orders, and a lack of formal agreements with partners to help accomplish the NEO program goals.


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