CORDIS Express: EU research results help protect Earth from impact threats
The fascinating data that the Rosetta mission continues to gather from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has enthralled the space science community and excited the public at large for over a year now. But did you know that along her journey to comet 67P, Rosetta also took the chance to get a peek of two asteroids and an asteroid fragment? In 2008 and 2010, Rosetta flew by two asteroids in the main asteroid belt – 2867 Steins and 21 Lutetia. The mission also observed an asteroid fragment, P/2010 A2 in 2010, in conjunction with the Hubble Space Telescope. But why take the time to explore asteroids when on a comet hunt? According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the information gathered will contribute to its Space Situational programme, which is intended, among other things, to detect asteroids that pass dangerously close to Earth and help prepare countermeasures to prevent a possible collision. The results of EU-funded projects are also contributing towards the aim of protecting the Earth from impact threats, such as asteroids and space debris. NEOSHIELD, for example, has combined laboratory experiments with computer modelling work to develop a plan to knock massive asteroids out of their Earth-bound orbit. Meanwhile, STARDUST is making breakthroughs on techniques for asteroid and space debris monitoring, removal/deflection and exploitation. And last year, the CLEANSPACE project defined a global architecture for a ground-based laser to modify the trajectory of space debris. This week’s edition of CORDIS Express takes a look at these outcomes as well as related news. - Protecting Earth from impact threats(opens in new window) - Big laser for small debris(opens in new window) - STARDUST presents techniques for tackling space debris and asteroids(opens in new window) - Trending science: Rosetta has her ‘day in the sun’(opens in new window)
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