“Something has got me excited again about space exploration again. NASA’s proposed Asteroid Retrieval Mission is new and daring, with a purpose that everyone can get behind — helping to protect Earth from a rogue asteroid. That should help rouse public support, especially after all those videos of a meteoroid exploding over Chelyabinsk. The timing couldn’t be better.

This mission, compared to all others now on NASA’s books, is exciting because ...]]>  

Today’s Featured Guest Blog is by Charlene Anderson, a respected science author and editor with a passion for space.

“Something has got me excited again about space exploration again. NASA’s proposed Asteroid Retrieval Mission is new and daring, with a purpose that everyone can get behind — helping to protect Earth from a rogue asteroid. That should help rouse public support, especially after all those videos of a meteoroid exploding over Chelyabinsk. The timing couldn’t be better.

This mission, compared to all others now on NASA’s books, is exciting because the U.S. space agency is reaching beyond the small and insular community of NASA insiders to get the job done.  Before the mission is completely defined, NASA is asking outsiders to propose ideas for finding asteroids, capturing or deflecting them, and getting human explorers to the asteroid target.

I’m excited because tackling this Asteroid Retrieval Mission (ARM) shows NASA management is open to new ideas  something not often seen in the past. The impetus for this project came from a study funded by the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) at Caltech, and NASA saw something in their idea that could provide a shared goal for its space science and human exploration divisions.

 
NASA badly needs something to connect its disparate programs — some forced on the agency by Congress — and get its people moving somewhere together. The Obama administration and the space agency are taking a chance on this mission that seemed to come out of nowhere, but they’ve got the courage to take the risk — something not often seen in government.

Plus, I’m willing to admit, I’m taking a perverse pleasure in watching this proposal irritate entrenched interests who fear money for their pet programs might get diverted to fund the new initiative. Then, there’s a faction that is miffed that their special committees were not consulted before NASA took on ARM.

The U.S. Administration is setting a series of Grand Challenges for science and technology that it believes can:

* Help solve important economic and societal problems;

* Serve as a “North Star” for high-impact, multi-disciplinary collaborations among government, industry, universities, non-profits, and philanthropists;

* Create a foundation for industries and jobs of the future;

* Capture public imagination and increase support for public policies that foster science, technology, and innovation; and

* Inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

It’s great to see a space mission set up as a Grand Challenge — this raises the status of an endeavor that receives tepid public support.  With this asteroid mission, there’s no question of its practical application to human life on Earth — after all, it someday might help save civilization.

Those who seek to expand human economic sphere into space could see their mining/construction/get-rich dreams boosted by the government-backed research and development needed to make the ARM possible.

Some may criticize the mission plan because NASA has not yet worked out the details — that’s one of the reasons they’re asking the public for help.  If NASA had presented the world with a fully formed plan, there’d be little room for others to play a significant role.  They are purposefully leaving open the opportunity for game-changing ideas and technologies from other smart and creative people. It’s nice to see NASA assuming it doesn’t know it all.

Judging from the mission roll-out this morning, it looks like NASA is trying for true public participation.  They are asking for people to contribute in proven ways, such as light-curve analysis already being done by skilled amateur astronomers. They are seeing was to crowdsource data analysis, as other scientific projects are already doing with resources like Zooniverse and its Galaxy Zoo.  NASA will engage in citizen science to bring anyone who wants to help into its exploration community. 

Unfortunately, not everyone shares my excitement about this Asteroid Retrieval Mission.  The U.S. House of Representatives Science space subcommittee that authorizes spending for NASA has proposed a bill that states: “The Administrator shall not fund the development of an asteroid retrieval mission to send a robotic spacecraft to a near-Earth asteroid for rendezvous, retrieval and redirection of that asteroid to lunar orbit for exploration by astronauts.”

It seems pretty extreme to me for a congressional committee to prohibit a presidential administration from undertaking a new mission, but that’s the way the U.S. government works.  NASA has a hard road ahead of it to get recalcitrant politicians and even some fractious scientists behind the Asteroid Retrieval Mission.  I, for one, will be writing my congresspeople to ask them to support this bold and creative mission.

Meanwhile, consider this:  NASA is asking you to help save the world.  “You” could be start-up a company like Planetary Resources, or an aerospace giant like Lockheed Martin, or a young nonprofit like B612 Foundation, or — most exciting of all — “you” could be a student working at computer late into the night who picks out crucial bit of data that makes the mission possible.

Can you let this opportunity pass by?  Should the U.S. Congress slam the door on a mission with such great potential to excite and involve people around the world in space exploration?

I sure hope not.  I don’t want the excitement I feel today to fade.”

For more updates from Charlene, please follow her on Twitter.

We had a good turnout and a relaxed setting with people who were sincerely interested about the topic of Near-Earth Objects and the risks they pose. There were tons of great questions and Don was so down to Earth with his explanations that I am even more impressed with him now than before (which ...]]> If I am being perfectly honest, I was so incredibly nervous about our first Community Conversations event; however all of those nerves were put at ease with Don’s arrival to Brookside Country Club.

We had a good turnout and a relaxed setting with people who were sincerely interested about the topic of Near-Earth Objects and the risks they pose. There were tons of great questions and Don was so down to Earth with his explanations that I am even more impressed with him now than before (which is saying a quite a bit).

We live streamed the event and I wanted to say thank-you to everyone who participated with their questions but I also wanted to apologize for the cut out during the middle of the session; it turns out that the CPU for the camera we were using has overheated and died during filming. Lesson learned, bring a back-up camera.

At the end of the evening, a good time was had by all and I think everyone learned something new that evening.

Thanks for your participation and support everyone!

There were so many organizations, scientists, agencies that really care about the issue of Planetary Defense and that was not only refreshing, but inspiring as well.

Topics of discussion included:

What was the most intriguing to us is that people from all backgrounds, not just scientists and PhD students, were there to support and take interest in ...]]> It was our first time going to a Planetary Defense Conference and it truly was an amazing experience. 

There were so many organizations, scientists, agencies that really care about the issue of Planetary Defense and that was not only refreshing, but inspiring as well.

Topics of discussion included:

• Near Earth Object (NEO) Physical Characterization
• Discovering NEOs
• Mitigation Techniques & Missions
• Impact Effects
• Consequence Management & Education

What was the most intriguing to us is that people from all backgrounds, not just scientists and PhD students, were there to support and take interest in Planetary Defense; it’s reassuring to know that this global conference includes people from all walks of life and encourages them to continue looking up and taking on the issue of Planetary Defense.

Stay tuned for some recaps on the topics listed above in greater detail, including some of the presentation slides!

NASA’s FY2012 budget for Near Earth Object Observations was set at 20.4 million, but according the the FY2014 summary, it looks like it has nearly doubled that allotment at 40.5 million. While ...]]> We could write a blog article to tell you all how outraged we are about the 200 million that was cut from NASA’s budget for FY2014, but instead we need to focus on the positive things that will come from the FY2014 budget and the positive direction that it takes towards the issue of Planetary Defense.

NASA’s FY2012 budget for Near Earth Object Observations was set at 20.4 million, but according the the FY2014 summary, it looks like it has nearly doubled that allotment at 40.5 million. While it would be great to see an even larger percentage of NASA’s budget go towards one of the most important (we feel) aspects of Planetary Defense, it is a step in the right direction.

Most talked about, however, is the addition of the new mission to capture an asteroid (“Asteroid Initiative”) and the 105 million that was set aside for this mission to take place. There will be an article that goes into detail about the mission a bit later, but for now we’re waiting on details before we form any official opinion.

There is one other thing that we’re keeping an eye on, and that is the 45 million cut (read: reallocated to a new department) from Education. We’re aware that no definitive details have been released as to the go-forward plans, but for right now, we’re keeping our eyes and ears open.

Of course we would love a larger budget for NASA as a whole, but at the end of the day, it is truly wonderful to see that the issue of Planetary Defense is being taken more seriously.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will be holding a media teleconference on Wednesday, April 10 at 12:00 pm PT (3:00 pm ET) ...]]> We’re all wondering what is in store for NASA’s FY2014 Budget. I know I was breathing a sigh of relief when Congress restored nearly all of NASA’s 2013 budget, but even though the verdict was recent (March 26, 2013 to be exact), I can’t help but feel anxious about what’s to come. Thankfully, we are going to get a look at the agency’s FY2014 proposal tomorrow.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will be holding a media teleconference on Wednesday, April 10 at 12:00 pm PT (3:00 pm ET) for anyone who would like to listen. The streaming audio feed is available on NASA’s website, here.

The budget materials will be posted on NASA’s budget website at 10:00 am PT (1:00 pm ET) the same day.

In the recent days, it has been widely reported that NASA’s proposed budget will include a reported $100 million for an asteroid capturing mission performed primarily with the aide of robotics. 

To say the least, we’re excited and  optimistic about the pending step forward in the name of Planetary Defense. 

Even though a Mars Rover seemingly has little to do with NEOs or Planetary Defense, the concept of robotic exploration is applicable in almost every exploratory situation. Here at the Society for Planetary Defense, we view the success of Curiosity as a step forward for robotic exploration.

Curiosity, within minutes of landing, was able to provide absolutely stunning and clear images of the planet’s surface, giving everyone who was watching a ...]]> After much nail biting and breath holding, the Curiosity Rover is safe and sound on Mars!

Even though a Mars Rover seemingly has little to do with NEOs or Planetary Defense, the concept of robotic exploration is applicable in almost every exploratory situation. Here at the Society for Planetary Defense, we view the success of Curiosity as a step forward for robotic exploration.

Curiosity, within minutes of landing, was able to provide absolutely stunning and clear images of the planet’s surface, giving everyone who was watching a great reason to continue believing in our space program.

With the success of this landing, we hope that people understand how valuable our space program is and how valuable a STEM career can be.

A sincere congratulations to NASA and the entire team who made Curiosity’s landing and future endeavors possible.

Cover Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Are we alone?

Many wonder why in a galaxy supposedly teeming with life, after searching the cosmos for over 50 years with increasingly powerful radio telescopes have we not heard a thing? Is ...]]> A guest post from Andrew Fain, a long time space enthusiast and friend of the Society of Planetary Defense.

Prometheus is emptying your wallet (mine too) this summer and, with interest in aliens at an all time high, I thought it might be a good time to revisit the big question on so many minds for so many years.

Are we alone?

Many wonder why in a galaxy supposedly teeming with life, after searching the cosmos for over 50 years with increasingly powerful radio telescopes have we not heard a thing? Is it because the only aliens we will ever find are currently on our summer movie screens? Since the search began in ernest by Frank Drake in 1960 until present day there have been a few candidate radio signals that have initially increased the heart rates of SETI scientists but then after careful scrutiny, turned out to have very mundane explanations.

All except for one.

In 1977, while working on a SETI project at Ohio State University, Jerry Ehman discovered a signal that had been received from the university’s Big Ear Radio Telescope that was so startling he circled the numbers on the printout and wrote Wow! The intensity of the signal was 30 times more powerful than the normal background radiation and could almost certainly be construed as a cosmic hello. This has become known as the famous Wow signal.

When scientists first began the search for extaterrestrials using radio telescopes, they came up with a set of criteria that would indicate if a signal could be of extraterrestrial origin. 1. Accounting for the Earth’s rotation using a fixed telescope the signal would have to show a gradual peaking and then gradual decrease. 2. It should be in a narrow band and very concentrated. 3. The best place to look would be in a frequency where interstellar hydrogen (the most common element in the galaxy) glows brightest. 4. It should repeat so it can be studied and verified by other installations around the world. The Wow signal fit all the criteria perfectly. Looking exactly like a signal from another world would look like. Except for one thing….

It never repeated.

For over 35 years scientists have tried to reaquire the signal from that part of the sky and also tried to find any reasonable, terrestrial explanation for what may have caused it. They came up short on both accounts. So to this day it is still referred to as a mystery but one with not enough weight behind it to dissuade scientists from saying that after 50 years SETI has failed to come up with anything. Funds for SETI research are getting harder to come by, forcing scientific icons like Jill Tarter to quit her job to cut costs and raise additional funds to help the struggling endeavor.

Maybe its time to finally give the Wow signal the proper respect it deserves. Robert Gray has just published an entire book devoted to the subject. It certainly fits the profile of an extraterrestrial signal. It just doesn’t repeat. A word that that should have never been a part of SETI’s criteria for knocking a signal out of contention. Repetition would be nice but remember, In 1974 our largest radio telescope in Arecibo Puerto Rico beamed out a powerful signal into the cosmos….and never repeated! So there you go. You don’t need repetition as a life indicator. Maybe what we received back in 1977 was similar to a kind of lighthouse beacon and we were just lucky enough to get caught in a piece of it as it swept by. Or perhaps by accident we intercepted a portion of a ship to ship transmition between two spacecraft before they moved on. It fits the profile and has resisted all attempts to be disproven. People are convicted in courts all the time on far less circumstantial evidence.

But is it proof?

Of course not.

There was probably never going to be any definitive proof anyway. At least not for a very long time. Short of aliens landing on the White House lawn shouting here we are, or sending us the kind of elaborate message portrayed in the movie, “Contact” there would always be only degrees of educated guesses by some very smart people saying things like…”.I believe we have finally made contact.” Or “We may have finally received a signal” …..or something like that.

Jill Tarter says the search for extraterrestrials is in its infancy and by comparison would be like taking a glass, filling it with water from the ocean and upon seeing no fish declaring none exist.

There are other things to consider as well. In 20 years or so we will be able to image extraterrestrial planets directly. Imagine what beings thousands of years or more advanced than us are able to do. I would say it’s a good bet they have been aware of us for quite some time. Noted Physicist Paul Davies thinks its time to broaden the scope of SETI to include looking at additional frequencies of the radio spectrum including optical. He also theorizes that given the likelihood that aliens have been around a lot longer than us, we should also do extensive searches of our moon, the solar system and even the earth itself for possible evidence of their passing this way before.

In an age where we can delist a planet like Pluto I believe its finally time to elevate the Wow signal’s status from the dark realm of a one off mystery to the first good possibility that we have already received an alien signal! Not proof, but enough to kickstart renewed interest and give SETI the help they need so we don’t have to wait another 50 years before we receive our second potential extraterrestrial contact!!

B612 has announced the first privately funded deep space mission, which you can read all about in their official press release on their website. Their Sentinel Mission is ‘a space-based infrared survey mission to discover and catalog 90% of the asteroids larger than 140 meters in Earth’s region of the solar system.’

Being that we’re totally into defending the planet from NEOs, we are fully in support of ...]]> We’re totally late to the party, but we wanted to toss up a huge CONGRATULATIONS to the B612 Foundation!

B612 has announced the first privately funded deep space mission, which you can read all about in their official press release on their website. Their Sentinel Mission is ‘a space-based infrared survey mission to discover and catalog 90% of the asteroids larger than 140 meters in Earth’s region of the solar system.’

Being that we’re totally into defending the planet from NEOs, we are fully in support of their efforts and our entire team here is very excited to see this project’s progression. We highly encourage those who are concerned about the defense of our planet to support B612 Foundation in their endeavors, as we know we will be.

We had to admit though, the nerds in us were all jealous that these guys have a way more awesome telescope than we do…

Saturday, June 9th at La Canada High Schoool was a day of JPL fans, planetary science supporters, and cookies. That’s right, I said cookies!

The roads were packed, the sun was beating down on us, but the volunteers from Society for Planetary Defense, CalTech, & UCLA still came…

Our mission was to raise awareness of the 20% cut to NASA’s Planetary Exploration budget beginning October 1st; with the support and efforts of CalTech & UCLA, we had a ...]]>

Shaunna C. serving up sweets to our many supporters!

Saturday, June 9th at La Canada High Schoool was a day of JPL fans, planetary science supporters, and cookies. That’s right, I said cookies!

The roads were packed, the sun was beating down on us, but the volunteers from Society for Planetary Defense, CalTech, & UCLA still came…

Our mission was to raise awareness of the 20% cut to NASA’s Planetary Exploration budget beginning October 1st; with the support and efforts of CalTech & UCLA, we had a really great turn out! We are still counting signatures, but we’re estimating 2500 letters signed; each one will be sent individually to each elected official to make an impact and let them know that it is unacceptable to place successful planetary science programs on the back burner – that we need to continue to inspire, continue to dream, and never stop looking up into the sky and searching for the unknown.

So many supporters show their love for NASA!

Going out on a limb here, but I am going to say that we had a great turn out because we offered some tasty baked goods! It just so happens that our Managing Director has a bakery , The Sweet Chemist, and was happy to donate her wicked awesome baking services for a good cause. We had a wide selection of space themed treats, from NEOdoodles (Snickerdoodles) to Red Planet Cupcakes (Red Velvet Cupcakes), that all went pretty fast. I mean, come on, who can resist free cookies in exchange for a few letters signed?

Delicious & Adorable Meteor Chip Cookies!

Delicious treats were only part of the deal, thanks to our UCLA counterpart (Michaela Shopland) we had some groovy live entertainment! Not only was there rockin’ music, we had a ‘Rover’ for kids to drive around and a really neat Astronaut cut-out for the perfect photo-op! A really special thanks to Jennifer Buz, from CalTech, for making a great effort into getting lots of volunteer help. On that note, thank you to the many volunteers that came out to support and help the effort!

Young supporter, future scientist, or young astronaut?

I have to give a shout out Stefanie at StampedMedia for all of her amazing efforts to get this event noticed and covered. She was there to live-tweet the event and give the public a play-by-play on the days events. Another very large shout out to Alan Stern for organizing this entire national movement. We’re so glad we got to participate in such an amazing event!

One last shout out to the Planetary Society for having one of their great volunteers come out to show their support for NASA and promote their upcoming Planetfest event, also a great big thank you to Planetary Radio’s Mat Kaplan for covering the event.

We’re all so thankful for your support and strongly believe that we can make a difference if we stand united, and we think that this event is solid proof of what many individual’s efforts can accomplish together. So again, thank you all.

When: Saturday, June 9th from 8:30am to 4:30pm

Where: TBD

Why: To raise awareness of the deep cuts to NASA’s funding for planetary exploration in the President’s purposed  FY13 budget and gain support ...]]> Please join the Society for Planetary Defense, CalTech, & UCLA in our first ever Planetary Bake Sale. We will have plenty of baked goods available for the amazing price of your support, as well as some fun children’s activities and a raffle for awesome items (like a brand new telescope, pieces of meteorite, and more)!

When: Saturday, June 9th from 8:30am to 4:30pm

Where: TBD

Why: To raise awareness of the deep cuts to NASA’s funding for planetary exploration in the President’s purposed  FY13 budget and gain support in the opposition of these cuts.

NASA’s planetary exploration program has been highly successful, making fundamental discoveries, motivating STEM careers, developing new technologies, creating jobs, and putting America in the history books with its accomplishments in space exploration.

Congressional appropriations committees have already partially restored a part of the President’s proposed devastating 21% cut to NASA’s planetary exploration program. We support and applaud those efforts, and sincerely thank them for their role in them. Now, we’re asking their work to go further to fully restore the NASA planetary exploration funding for FY13 to it’s FY13 levels.