From Detection to Deflection: Evaluating NASA’s Planetary Defense Strategy
House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
2025-05-15
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Source: Congress.gov
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Transcript
Good morning. The Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the subcommittee at any time. Welcome to today's hearing, From Detection to Deflection, Evaluating NASA's Planetary Defense Strategy. I recognize myself now for five minutes for an opening statement. First, I want to welcome everyone to the subcommittee hearing this morning. Thank you for joining us. This is a hearing focused on a very important topic, NASA's role in planetary defense and the detection of near-Earth objects, commonly known as NEOs. While not as high profile as other NASA missions, the Planetary Defense is one of the most important research centers that basically this was the highest priority of American citizens, the fear that somehow, someway our planet could be under duress due to asteroids or other objects that could hit the Earth. And in fact, a lot of the popular movies have been based on it, whether it be Armageddon, Deep Impact, of course, my favorite from 1980s, The Barbarian. So these are all risks that we face in a very serious way. And of course, the last couple of years, this has come to our attention with the NASA-funded ground-based telescopes discovered that there was a near-Earth asteroid that was designated as 2024 YR, and initial estimates had it as high as a 3% chance of striking the Earth. Fortunately, subsequent observations and analysis have lowered that impact to less than 1,100th of 1%, but this is still a legitimate concern, and that's why we're here today. This isn't the first time we've made a discovery like this. Back in 2004, NASA identified an asteroid named Apophis and found that it was within roughly 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029, less than one-tenth of one within one-tenth of the distance to the moon. This process highlights NASA's critical role in planetary defense.
The 2005 NASA Authorization Act directed NASA to detect, track, catalog, characterize the physical characteristics of an estimated 90% of NEOs by 2020. While NASA has made progress toward this objective, much work remains. As of last September, NASA estimated it had only identified 44% of the estimated population of NEOS larger than 140 meters, less than half of its goal, but help is on the way. The NEOS survey mission The first spacecraft explicitly built to detect near-Earth asteroids and comets is scheduled to launch by 2028. NEO's survey offers an important capability as it uses infrared detectors to detract objects that would otherwise be difficult to find due to the glare of sunlight. I look forward to learning more about this key mission during today's hearing. However, NASA's efforts to extend beyond detection and identify NEOs. In 2021, NASA launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, also known as DART, a mission to research two asteroids that would fly in Earth's vicinity. Nearly 10 months later, DART successfully impacted the smaller asteroid, altering its orbit around the large one and providing key data. This mission demonstrated the feasibility of redirecting a NEO and proved out many technologies that could be pivotal in future initiatives. NASA's work in planetary defense has long enjoyed bipartisan support on the SST committee, and I'm optimistic that this will continue. I'm eager to hear updates on NASA's progress towards achieving this congressionally mandated mission. I also welcome the opportunity to hear about development of NEO Surveyor and the ongoing work of the Minor Planet Center in cataloging these objects. Thank you to each of the witnesses for being here today, and we look forward to a very productive discussion. And before we move on, I'd like to request unanimous consent to submit a letter from the Planetary Society for the record, without objection, so ordered.
And you'll recognize Ms. Bushi. Good morning, and thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding today's hearing. I want to extend a warm welcome to our expert witnesses. Thank you all for being here. Under most circumstances, this hearing would be a natural continuation of the Committee's periodic review and oversight of NASA's near-Earth object and planetary defense activities, activities that Congress led by this Committee directed in law. Near-Earth objects, or NEOs, pose real, though infrequent, threats. We had a taste of a NEO threat in late 2024 and early 2025 with the detection of the 2024 YR4 asteroid that was initially estimated to have more than 1% chance of impacting Earth in 2032. Thankfully, NEO and planetary defense efforts, both in the US and internationally, were in place to analyze and assess the threat, and the projection was later reduced to near zero. Today's circumstances, however, are far from ordinary.
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