The NEO Rapid Observation, Characterization and Key Simulations

Project Information

NEOROCKS

Grant agreement ID: 870403

DOI

10.3030/870403

Project closed

EC signature date 22 November 2019

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 30 June 2023

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Space

Total cost

€ 2 114 725,00

EU contribution

€ 2 071 975,00

Coordinated by

ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI ASTROFISICA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NEOROCKS (The NEO Rapid Observation, Characterization and Key Simulations)

Reporting period: 2021-12-01 to 2023-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

NEOROCKS is an EU H2020 Project active from January 2020 to June 2023, aimed at improving our knowledge on the physical properties of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) for scientific and planetary defence purposes.
NEOROCKS connected the European expertise in performing observations of small Solar System bodies and the related modelling needed to derive their dynamical and physical properties, to the pragmatic Planetary Defence approach, which is responsible for protecting citizens from cosmic threats.
The challenge for physical characterization is to keep up with the increasing trend in NEO discoveries to be dominated by small-size objects, yet capable to produce local damage in case of impact. Among them, are the so-called “imminent impactors” characterized by extremely short warning times (days to weeks).
NEOROCKS proposed an innovative approach, focused on: a) establishing a network of professional astronomers having access to large aperture telescopes worldwide; b) investigating the relationship between orbit determination of newly discovered objects and quick execution of follow-up observations, in order to address the imminent impactors threat; c) profiting from European industrial expertise in developing and managing Space Situational Awareness (SSA) operational systems to plan and execute breakthrough experiments for rapid response; d) pursuing high-quality data standardization and dissemination processes.
NEOROCKS successfully optimized observational activities, enhanced modelling and simulation tasks, fostered international cooperation and tested response times to a possible impact threat. The project ensured the widespread availability of data and results, and engaged the public through education and outreach activities.
The NEOROCKS outcome is particularly meaningful within the framework of the present NEO discovery rate (about 3000 objects/year) and the near-future operation of a new generation wide-field high-sensitivity survey telescopes, which will dramatically improve NEO detection. Knowledge of the physical properties (e.g. size, composition) is presently available only for a fraction of the NEO population, while it is essential for timely evaluating the actual danger they pose in case of impact, and for developing suitable mitigation strategies. This is particularly true for the “imminent impactors” whose threat can be properly faced only by the quick and coordinated execution of astrometric and physical follow-up observations and the related data analysis.
By analysing the technical challenges as well as the international scenario, NEOROCKS demonstrated the feasibility of al longterm strategy to link-up NEO astronomical observations to modelling and simulation techniques to respond to the need of fully characterizing the NEO population. A key element is the implementation of a robust data management and dissemination system whose basic building blocks were laid down during the project with the establishment of a state-of-the-art NEO physical properties database compliant with internationally adopted standards and guidelines.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The consortium carried out all the planned activities, resulting in 34 deliverables submitted in due time. The unfortunate coincidence of the start of the project with the COVID pandemic affected the observational activity because of the prolonged shutdown of the astronomical observatories. Nevertheless, the 12-month extension allowed full recovery of the observational activity. The implementation of the orbit dynamics tools needed to optimize the selection of NEOs for follow-up physical observations was carried out. A rapid response experiment was attempted to test our ability to observe and characterize newly discovered objects within challenging response times (days). The coordinated contribution of scientific practices and industrial operational procedures demonstrated that using European existing assets an integrated imminent impactor rapid response system encompassing both dynamical and physical characterization can be set up.
The development of the data management system allowed delivering a Technical Web Portal with a state-of-the art database of NEO physical properties. It is being migrated inside the ASI Space Science Data Center (SSDC) to be permanently available as a service for the whole community well beyond the end of the project.
As far as international cooperation is concerned, the project witnessed some major events, such as the signing of the ESA-UE Financial Framework Partnership Agreements (FFPA) and the first asteroid deflection experiment performed by the NASA DART mission with the contribution of ASI LICIACube whose team included several NEOROCKS scientists. These events were closely monitored and, when appropriate, their outcome promptly injected into project activities (e.g. resorting to the ESA NEO Coordination Center as an authoritative European NEO orbital data source). Thanks to the Education and Public Outreach activities, the project gained visibility. Its web site was updated with frequent news on the project achievements and coming from NEO research and Planetary Defence.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

During the project, the interest of the international community toward planetary defence issues has considerably grown. SSA topics entered for the first time the EU Space Programme foreseeing NEO activities to be carried out in the 2021-2027 timeframe. The signature of the FFPA between ESA and EU allows managing the EU funding to complement and further develop the NEO activities already carried out by ESA. Within this framework the topics addressed by NEOROCKS can be considered as precursor to the to-do list laid out by ESA and UE, such as improving and extending the networking of facilities for NEO observations, establishing a European NEO physical properties database, and the need for a rapid response system for civil protection.
The establishment of a worldwide NEO Physical Properties reference data source, similar to the NEO orbital data managed by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) on behalf of the IAU, was a major ambition in the NEOROCKS proposal, driving the development of the project Technical Web Portal. Here, the outcome of the project activity, at all level of processing, is permanently stored and made available: more than 700 NEOs were observed and characterized while thousands of multi-filter observations of hundreds of NEOs were extracted by public archives. The portal itself, whose major functionality is a comprehensive physical properties database is compliant by design with state-of-the-art internationally data management practices (EUROplanet guidelines, FAIR principles, VO- standards etc). This is a significant step toward further increasing the NEO physical properties data dissemination and exploitation.
In term of societal implication, the project focused on education activities targeting kids. Neorocks4Kids premiered for Asteroid Day 2021, with a series of videos designed to introduce children to NEOs. It continued with tailored articles prepared for the project newsletters.
Within the outreach activities, a selection of the articles originally published by Tumblingstone, the on-line Journal of the Spaceguard Foundation (the first institution devoted to Planetary Defense) were republished thus linking up 20 years of effort in protecting the citizens from cosmic impacts to the present and future developments.

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