An asteroid early warning system (where "early" means weeks to centuries, not tomorrow, which would be way too late) has been proposed. Rusty Schweickart likes the idea.
"Schweickart is founder and past president of the Association of Space Explorers, the international professional society of astronauts and cosmonauts. Of late, he's been busily working on implementation issues regarding a near-Earth object Information, Analysis, and Warning Network for consideration by the United Nations.
"ATLAS is the first specific telescopic system designed to provide a last-minute warning for asteroids in final approach to an Earth impact," Schweickart told SPACE.com.
As the first NEO discovered immediately pre-impact -- for which an impact time and location were forecast, and from which fragments were collected immediately afterward for analysis – that event [asteroid impact in Sudan] highlighted the potential for systematic last-minute warning, Schweickart said.
"It appears that for roughly 60 percent of impactors roughly 100 to 130 feet (30 to 40 meters) in size, days of warning can be provided. For objects to some 450 feet (140 meters) and above size, weeks of warning are possible," he added.
I think we need all the warning we can get.
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