NASA begins construction of NEO surveyor asteroid hunting mission
(image:NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

NASA is embarking on a new mission to survey near-Earth asteroids, known as NEOs, with the goal of better understanding these small celestial bodies and their potential impact on Earth. The NEO Surveyor mission is slated to launch in the mid-2020s and will use a spacecraft equipped with advanced sensors and instruments to study asteroids up close.

NEOs are asteroids that orbit the sun and pass relatively close to Earth's orbit. These objects can range in size from just a few meters to hundreds of kilometers across, and they can pose a potential threat to our planet if they collide with it. While the probability of an asteroid impact is low, it is important to understand the characteristics and behavior of these objects to better assess any potential risks and to develop strategies for mitigating any potential impacts.

The NEO Surveyor mission will be led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and will be the first mission to utilize the agency's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft. DART is a spacecraft designed specifically to study and potentially deflect asteroids that are on a collision course with Earth. It will be equipped with a range of instruments, including a camera, spectrometer, and lidar, to study the physical and chemical properties of asteroids.

The mission will focus on studying asteroids that are between 50 and 500 meters in diameter, as these are the most common and potentially hazardous NEOs. The spacecraft will make multiple close flybys of these asteroids to gather data on their size, shape, composition, and other characteristics. It will also use its instruments to measure the asteroids' spin and gravitational field, which can provide insights into their internal structure and the forces acting on them.

In addition to studying asteroids, the NEO Surveyor mission will also be tasked with searching for new asteroids that have not yet been detected. It will use its sensors to scan the skies for any previously undiscovered objects that might pose a threat to Earth.

The NEO Surveyor mission is an important step in understanding the nature and behavior of asteroids and their potential impact on our planet. By studying these small celestial bodies up close, we can better understand the risks they pose and develop strategies to mitigate any potential impacts.