The Planetary Society Praises NASA’s New Commitment to Planetary Defense

Pasadena, CA (September 24, 2019) — The Planetary Society, the world’s largest independent space interest organization, issued the following statements supporting NASA’s proposed investments in planetary defense:

“This is a wise investment in the long-term safety of the human race. Expanding the Planetary Defense Program at NASA to support space missions that complement ground-based surveys—beginning with the NEO Surveillance Mission—is smart policy that will leave the world better prepared to manage and mitigate potential asteroid threats.

“The announcement is very much in line with previous recommendations by The Planetary Society and the National Academies, and addresses public expectations that planetary defense be a priority for NASA. We look forward to more details about this effort in the agency’s FY 2021 President’s Budget Request, and urge the Administration to augment the agency’s science budget to support this critical effort.”

Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, added:

“This may prove to be the most important investment ever made by NASA. Early detection and deflection of an asteroid on a collision course for Earth could save countless lives. A space-based asteroid-hunting telescope will better equip the world to be prepared for potential threats.”

Press Resources

Please arrange with Danielle Gunn, chief communications officer, at [email protected]

• Casey Dreier, Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Adviser
• Bruce Betts, Chief Scientist

• Planetary Defense resource page
• NASA to Build New Asteroid-Hunting Space Telescope. By Jason Davis
• The State of Planetary Defense: How Well Does Earth Understand the Impact Hazard? By Vishnu Reddy
• Will an asteroid hit Earth? Your questions answered. By Bruce Betts