• NASA's Asteroid Monitoring, Planetary Defense, and Upcoming Initiatives for FY 2025

  • Feb 12 2025
  • Length: 3 mins
  • Podcast

NASA's Asteroid Monitoring, Planetary Defense, and Upcoming Initiatives for FY 2025

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  • Summary

  • Welcome to our latest podcast on NASA's recent developments. This week, we're starting with a significant headline: a massive 47-foot asteroid is set to soar past Earth today, safely passing at a distance of 4.76 million kilometers, about five times the distance between Earth and the Moon[1].

    NASA continuously monitors asteroids near Earth to evaluate potential threats. This particular asteroid, 2025 CV, is moving at a speed of 21,072 miles per hour and will be closest to Earth at 2:52 PM IST today. Another asteroid, 2025 CN2, roughly the size of a bus, is set to approach Earth tomorrow. These space rocks pose no threat to Earth, thanks to NASA's planetary defense efforts.

    Speaking of planetary defense, Lindley Johnson, Lead Program Executive for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, shared the agency's strategy to tackle potential asteroid threats. A global team of astronomers called the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) tracks asteroids and assesses the level of potential danger, issuing warnings accordingly. If an asteroid poses a regional threat, NASA notifies the White House and releases an official public statement. For global threats, IAWN coordinates with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to develop an international response plan.

    In other news, NASA has announced several new initiatives and program launches for Fiscal Year 2025. The agency plans to select over 600 new awards, grants, and contracts to small businesses and continue to incubate and mature NASA commercial technologies[2]. Key achievements planned for FY 2025 include the launch of Europa Clipper, Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), and multiple new lunar science payloads to the surface of the Moon through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services project.

    However, not all news is positive. NASA has begun dismantling its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs following a recent executive order from President Donald Trump[5]. This decision has raised concerns about the impact on the agency's goals to increase representation within its workforce and foster diversity in space exploration.

    Looking ahead, NASA is preparing for a total solar eclipse in April 2024 with a new six-part podcast series, Sun + Eclipse Series, which offers insight into research from NASA scientists and firsthand accounts from “eclipse chasers”[3].

    For more information on NASA's latest developments, visit their official website. If you're interested in staying updated on NASA's news and initiatives, subscribe to their newsletters and follow their social media channels. Thank you for tuning in, and we'll see you next time with more updates from the world of space exploration.
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