PLEASE NOTE:
*
CCNet SPECIAL: MANY PROMISES - NO DELIVERY
------------------------------------------
FIRST REACTIONS
(1) MANY PROMISES - NO DELIVERY
Benny J Peiser <b.j.peiser@livjm.ac.uk>
(2) STATEMENT BY SPACEGUARD UK
Jonathan Tate <fr77@dial.pipex.com >
(3) UK TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO IMPACT HAZARD
Duncan Steel <D.I.Steel@salford.ac.uk>
============
(1) MANY PROMISES - NO DELIVERY
From Benny J Peiser <b.j.peiser@livjm.ac.uk>
Two days after U.S. researchers announced that life on Earth was
almost
wiped out 250 million years by the impact of a giant asteroid or
comet, the
UK Government has today published a half-hearted and largely
non-committal
response to the Task Force Report on potentially hazardous near
Earth
objects.
Today's response by Her Majesty's Government to the NEO Task
Force Report is
disappointing and falls short of what was widely expected. It was
perhaps
too optimistic to hope that the Government would implement all of
the Task
Force's 14 recommendations. But the failure to announce any
significant
action (or indeed any financial commitment) is unsatisfactory.
Instead, it
would appear that Britain will not take any significant action on
the impact
hazard without financial and political support from other
European
countries. Those who hoped that this "Europeanisation of
inaction" would be
abandoned, will feel frustrated. After all, it is far from
certain that any
European country is willing to fund any significant NEO
activities given
that even the UK has so far failed to commit herself. In fact,
Germany, I
have learned during a recent trip to Hamburg, has already
rejected an
approach by the Science Minister on NEO matters.
Given the ongoing reluctance of Europe to contribute anything of
significance related to NEO searches or planetary defence,
Britain should
keep the option open to look for closer co-operation with the
U.S. In the
meantime, the establishment of an independent NATIONAL SPACEGUARD
CENTRE, as
announced by Spaceguard UK today, ensures that the public will
remain
thoroughly informed on NEO research and planetary defence issues.
It will
also continue to lobby the Government in order to ensure that the
vague
promises made today will be followed by concrete action.
Benny J Peiser
==================
(2) STATEMENT BY SPACEGUARD UK
From Jonathan Tate <fr77@dial.pipex.com
>
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES MORE STUDIES INTO "DEEP IMPACT"
HAZARD
Lord Sainsbury, the science minister, announced this morning the
government's decision to adopt some of the recommendations of the
Near Earth
Object Task Force. Disappointingly he failed to announce any
substantive
action beyond the establishment of further studies and the
holding of talks
with various national and international bodies. There is the
possibility
that these may provide the basis for a British project at some
time in the
future, but a golden opportunity for the UK to take a world lead
is in
danger of being lost. The NEO Task Force report has significantly
raised the
profile of the impact hazard worldwide, and the promise of
British
government action has given many international organisations
pause for
thought. The failure to follow this matter through is
disappointing to all
concerned. Background On 18th September 2000, after a four-year
campaign by
the members and associates of Spaceguard UK, the British
government
published the report of the Near Earth Object Task Force. The
terms of
reference were to confirm the nature of the impact hazard,
identify current
UK activities, and make recommendations on future action. The
Task Force
consulted with leading experts in the UK, Europe and the United
States, many
of whom are members of Spaceguard UK, and investigated the
magnitude of the
hazard, projects currently underway around the world and the
requirements
for a comprehensive international programme to counter the threat
of
cometary and asteroidal impacts. The team produced a report of
unprecedented
clarity and wisdom in which the hazard posed to the UK by impacts
was
verified. The report emphasised the international nature of the
hazard, and
while there was justifiable emphasis on international
co-operation, the
report also addressed the question of national interest, and the
requirement
for an expert domestic advisory service for the public,
government, media
and relevant authorities regarding the environmental hazard posed
by natural
extraterrestrial objects. The British government's initiative has
generated
significant interest worldwide, particularly in the United States
and
Europe.
It is therefore disappointing that the science minister, Lord
Sainsbury,
has, while acknowledging the advice of the experts, has failed to
provide a
foundation for a substantive British contribution to the
burgeoning global
Spaceguard programme. The actions announced today do not address
some of the
main recommendations of the Task Force that would have allowed
the UK to
make a significant contribution to the global Spaceguard effort.
As time
passes and appreciation of the impact hazard increases pressure
will
inevitably lead to the active adoption of the recommendations,
and
Spaceguard UK will monitor the situation closely.
To go some way towards providing a credible British contribution
to the
growing global Spaceguard programme in the short term, an
independent
Spaceguard Centre will be established at the former Powys
Observatory in
mid-Wales. The role of the Spaceguard Centre will be to provide
an
educational resource for the public, schools and the media, at
the same time
acting as an interface between the scientific community and the
media to
ensure the rapid and accurate passage of information, thereby
actioning the
NEO Task Force's recommendation that "a British Centre for
Near Earth
Objects be set up whose mission would be to promote and
coordinate work on
the subject in Britain; to provide an advisory service to the
Government,
other relevant authorities, the public and the media, and to
facilitate
British involvement in international activities ......... One of
the most
important functions of a British Centre for Near Earth Objects be
to provide
a public service which would give balanced information in clear,
direct and
comprehensible language as need might arise. Such a service must
respond to
very different audiences: on the one hand Parliament, the general
public and
the media; and on the other the academic, scientific and
environmental
communities. In all of this, full use should be made of the
Internet."
Spaceguard UK has been providing such a service for the past four
years, and
will continue to do so.
Spaceguard UK is a non-governmental organisation that has
campaigned for
government action since 1996 and precipitated the establishment
of the Task
Force in late 1999. Funding will be sought from commercial and
independant
sources.
Contact:
Jonathan Tate
Director, Spaceguard UK
Tel (daytime) 01980 845923
Tel (Evening) 01980 671380/1
Mobile 07968 195625
Fax 01980 671381
E-mail Spaceguard@dial.pipex.com
Spaceguard UK Website: http://www.spaceguard.uk.tt
==============
(3) UK TO PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO IMPACT HAZARD
From Duncan Steel <D.I.Steel@salford.ac.uk>
The most important outcome of the Government's response to the
NEO Task
Force report would seem to be the decision that the UK will take
a lead in
promoting an international approach to what is a global problem.
This will
be done on a regional basis, through various European
organisations such as
ESA, ESO and the ESF, but also globally at an intergovernmental
level
through the OECD.
One must have optimism that this will lead eventually to action
being taken
at the appropriate level, given the magnitude of the NEO impact
hazard.
Duncan Steel
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GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THE REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS
NEAR EARTH OBJECTS
http://www.nearearthobjects.co.uk/government_response.cfm
Lord Sainsbury announced today (24 February) the Government
response to the
report of the Near Earth Objects Task Force, chaired by Dr Harry
Atkinson.
In publishing the Government's response, Lord Sainsbury said,
"The
Government endorses the view of the Task Force that since the
possible
dangers posed by Near Earth Objects are not limited to any one
nation, an
international approach is essential.".
Work being taken forward will include:
the European Space Agency working to devise a European Strategy
on NEOs in
advance of the meeting of the ESA Council at Ministerial level in
November
of this year;
the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC)
carrying out a
further detailed study of telescope facilities necessary for
finding,
tracking and characterising properties of NEOs;
the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
discussing
with the UK the establishment of an international forum for
discussion of
and action on the threat to earth from Near Earth Objects; and,
the British
National Space Centre (BNSC) continuing to act as the lead
Government
Department on NEO policy.
------------
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THE REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS
NEAR EARTH OBJECTS
24 February 2001
Introduction
In January 2000, following discussions in Parliament and
approaches from
members of the public, the Government announced the setting up of
a Task
Force on Potentially Hazardous Near Earth Objects.
Dr Harry Atkinson, formerly of the Science and Engineering
Research Council
(SERC) and former Chairman of the European Space Agency's
Council, was
invited to lead the Task Force. He was assisted by Sir Crispin
Tickell,
British diplomat, and Professor David Williams, former President
of the
Royal Astronomical Society.
The Task Force was invited to make proposals to the Government on
how the
United Kingdom should best contribute to international effort on
Near Earth
Objects, and to advise the Government on what further action to
take.
After extensive consultation with interested parties and the
scientific
community both nationally and internationally, the Task Force
published its
report on 18 September 2000. The report is available at
http://www.nearearthobjects.co.uk.
The Government would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute
to the
excellent work the Task Force has done in getting to grips with
this complex
issue. Their well-prepared report is the first
comprehensive review, as far
as we are aware, of this challenging subject. The report
has been well
received both in the UK and internationally and has already
played an
important role in raising international awareness of the
potential threat.
Having considered the report, the Government's view is that since
the
possible dangers posed by Near Earth Objects are not limited to
any one
nation, an international approach to the problem is
essential. Here in the
UK we have a great deal to bring to an international approach
including:
· A strong track record in astronomy and in sky surveys (e.g. UK
Schmidt
Survey);
· A wide field survey telescope in the southern hemisphere
(VISTA) and the
UK Infrared Telescope
in the northern hemisphere which is being adapted for
survey work;
· Through its facilities in La Palma and its future membership
of the
European Southern
Observatory the UK has or will have access to a number of
small and medium
sized telescopes in
both hemispheres which could be used or adapted for survey
and follow-up
work;
· Particular skills in telescope design and construction in both
academia
and industry;
· UK industry produces what are currently the state of the art
CCD imaging
chips for astronomical
use. This is a key technology for Near Earth Object study;
· Expertise in small satellite technology.
The Government takes the view that the first priority for the UK
and its
international partners should be to find, track and characterize
Near Earth
Objects in order to gain a greater understanding of the nature of
the NEO
threat. The complex and controversial issue of mitigating their
effects can
then be addressed.
Many of the report's scientific recommendations on the need to
find, track
and characterize Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are inter-related. The
UK's
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, PPARC, has
undertaken to
use the expertise available in its scientific community to
produce costed
options analysing the most effective way of implementing the
telescope-based
recommendations as a group (recommendations 1, 2, 4 and 5).
The Government's response to the individual recommendations of
the Task
Force's Report is set out below. This document is also
available through
the British National Space Centre website, http://www.bnsc.gov.uk, and
through the Near Earth Objects website, http://www.nearearthobjects.co.uk.
Negotiations with and between international institutions, and
analysis of
complex scientific proposals, take time. The Government
therefore
undertakes to provide a further report later this year on its
progress in
implementing the response set out below.
Response to Recommendations
Survey and discovery of Near Earth Objects
Recommendation 1
We recommend that the Government should seek partners, preferably
in Europe,
to build in the southern hemisphere an advanced new 3 metre-class
survey
telescope for surveying substantially smaller objects than those
now
systematically observed by other telescopes. The telescope should
be
dedicated to work on Near Earth Objects and be located on an
appropriate
site.
In November 2000 the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
announced
that the UK intended to join the European Southern Observatory
(ESO) whose
telescopes are in the southern hemisphere. ESO has indicated that
it is
interested in exploring with the UK the possibility that a 3
metre-class
telescope could be made available at its observing sites in
Chile. This
could take the form of the new telescope envisaged in the
recommendation, or
a modification of one of ESO's existing 2-4 metre telescopes. The
latter
option would not necessarily compromise the telescope's
efficiency.
PPARC has offered to take the lead in preparing costed options
for how this
recommendation could best be implemented, together with similar
studies of
recommendations 2, 4 and 5. Decisions on which options to
take forward will
need to be made against the background of funding priorities.
Recommendation 2
We recommend that arrangements be made for observational data
obtained for
other purposes by wide-field facilities, such as the new British
VISTA
telescope, to be searched for Near Earth Objects on a nightly
basis.
PPARC will consider this recommendation as part of the analysis
they will
undertake of telescope facilities related to NEOs. PPARC will
also address
how survey data could be made available to identify or track NEOs
through
the 'Virtual Observatory' project. This project, called
AstroGrid, plans to
give astronomers remote access through the Internet to a number
of UK and
other European telescopes.
Recommendation 3
We recommend that the Government draw the attention of the
European Space
Agency to the particular role that GAIA, one of its future
missions, could
play in surveying the sky for Near Earth Objects. The potential
in GAIA, and
in other space missions such as NASA's SIRTF and the European
Space Agency's
BepiColombo, for Near Earth Object research should be considered
as a factor
in defining the missions and in scheduling their completion.
Government officials have already drawn the European Space
Agency's
attention to the role that GAIA and BepiColumbo could play in NEO
survey.
In the case of GAIA, a comprehensive stellar survey telescope
proposed for
launch no later than 2012, it has been established that
additional data
analysis capability could be added into the specification of the
mission to
search for moving objects such as asteroids. This mission
is currently in
the design stage and it is expected that this capability will be
included in
the implementation of the mission, should it prove
feasible. The
specification of the BepiColumbo mission to Mercury (planned for
launch in
2009) has also been altered to include a dedicated NEO
camera. BepiColumbo
should provide unique data on those asteroids whose orbits are
mostly
interior to the earth's orbit round the Sun.
The exact scheduling of these two missions depends on the
decisions taken at
the European Space Agency Ministerial Council meeting in November
2001.
The UK Government has drawn NASA's attention to the role its
SIRTF mission
could play in NEO research. SIRTF is expected to make a
further
contribution to identification and characterization of NEOs.
Accurate orbit determination
Recommendation 4
We recommend that the 1 metre Johannes Kapteyn Telescope on La
Palma, in
which the United Kingdom is a partner, be dedicated to follow-up
observations of Near Earth Objects.
Following the Task Force's Report, PPARC has already discussed
access to the
Johannes Kapteyn Telescope with its international partners (the
use of the
JKT is shared in particular with the Netherlands Organization for
Scientific
Research), and has received an encouraging response. It has
started to
develop a costed analysis with the Director of the Isaac Newton
Group of
telescopes, in the Canary Islands.
The preparation of this analysis will form part of PPARC's
analysis of
telescope facilities related to NEOs.
Composition and gross properties
Recommendation 5
We recommend that negotiations take place with the partners with
whom the
United Kingdom shares suitable telescopes to establish an
arrangement for
small amounts of time to be provided under appropriate financial
terms for
spectroscopic follow-up of Near Earth Objects.
PPARC already supports a number of high scientific priority
studies and
observations of NEOs through research grants and telescope
time. This is
expected to continue. There may be opportunities through
the recent
Spending Review settlement, in particular through funds directed
to
information technology, to increase the efficiency and
effectiveness of
these studies.
PPARC will consider this recommendation as part of its analysis
of telescope
facilities related to NEOs.
Recommendation 6
We recommend that the Government explore, with like-minded
countries, the
case for mounting a number of coordinated space rendezvous
missions based on
relatively inexpensive microsatellites, each to visit a different
type of
Near Earth Object to establish its detailed characteristics.
The Government recognises the importance of characterizing NEOs
and the
value of initiatives such as NASA's NEAR mission to the asteroid
Eros. The
Government will explore through the European Space Agency the
possibility
for future microsatellite rendezvous missions, emphasising the
potential of
such missions to achieve both scientific and technological
objectives.
Coordination of astronomical observations
Recommendation 7
We recommend that the Government - together with other
governments, the
International Astronomical Union and other interested parties -
seek ways of
putting the governance and funding of the Minor Planet Center on
a robust
international footing, including the Center's links to executive
agencies if
a potential threat were found.
The Government welcomes the work done by the Minor Planet Centre
and values
its role in coordinating and archiving data on NEOs. NASA
is currently
pursuing a number of options to provide suitable funding for the
Minor
Planets Centre and the Government will work together with NASA,
the
International Astronomical Union, the European Space Agency and
other
European partners to identify appropriate support to the
international
effort.
In addition, the Government will explore with ESA whether it has
plans for
similar facilities in Europe.
Studies of impacts and environmental and social effects
Recommendation 8
We recommend that the Government should help promote
multi-disciplinary
studies of the consequences of impacts from Near Earth Objects on
the Earth
in British and European institutions concerned, including the
Research
Councils, universities and the European Science Foundation.
The Government has drawn the attention of the Research Councils
to the Task
Force's report and the importance of multi-disciplinary studies
of this
nature. Funding for high quality scientific proposals of
interdisciplinary
studies related to impact consequences is already available
through the
Research Councils' peer review process. In addition, the UK's
Natural
Environment Research Council makes a small contribution to the
European
Science Foundation's multidisciplinary IMPACT programme, looking
at "the
nature of impacts and their impact on nature".
Mitigation possibilities
Recommendation 9
We recommend that the Government, with other governments, set in
hand
studies to look into the practical possibilities of mitigating
the results
of impact and deflecting incoming objects.
There is currently a scarcity of precise knowledge about the
exact nature of
the NEO threat. Mitigating any impact by deflection would
appear to be a
more attractive option than break-up, since the latter might well
result in
a greater number of smaller NEOs to cope with world-wide.
Discussions of
this global problem with the US Department of Defense, NASA, ESA
and the UK
Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) have thus far
provided no
clear position on what should be done, although it is clear that
the highest
priority lies in the provision of improved observation to provide
the
maximum possible warning time. Options for deflecting NEOs
range from the
launch of small spacecraft many years in advance of the predicted
impact
date to rendezvous with the NEO to gently "nudge" it
away from its collision
course, through to last minute deflection using high energy
explosive
devices, the use of which would need to be very carefully
considered.
In relation to mitigation, the Home Office has studied the
possible
consequences of emergencies of this sort, and contingency
arrangements are
already in place. These involve local agencies (principally the
police, fire
and ambulance with local authorities and health providers), who
plan, train
and exercise together so that any response is co-ordinated.
An impact in
the UK from a NEO would be dealt with under these arrangements.
If the level of threat were identified as being significant (in
time and
magnitude), specific arrangements would need to be put in place.
These would
fall under the aegis of the Civil Contingencies Committee, a
committee of
Ministers and senior officials chaired by the Home Secretary or
senior Home
Office official.
Organisation internationally
Recommendation 10
We recommend that the Government urgently seek with other
governments and
international bodies (in particular the International
Astronomical Union) to
establish a forum for open discussion of the scientific aspects
of Near
Earth Objects, and a forum for international action. Preferably
these should
be brought together in an international body. It might have some
analogy
with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, thereby
covering
science, impacts, and mitigation.
The Government agrees on the need for an international forum to
discuss and
co-ordinate action on the NEO issue. The Government welcomes an
approach
already received from the OECD with an offer to assist in this
area. Their
approach is particularly attractive as the OECD has the reach to
pull in the
main players in space-related activity. Discussions of the risk
from NEOs
might also contribute to OECD's project on Emerging Systemic
Risks, with
which the UK is already associated.
Organisation in Europe
Recommendation 11
We recommend that the Government discuss with like-minded
European
governments how Europe could best contribute to international
efforts to
cope with Near Earth Objects, coordinate activities in Europe,
and work
towards becoming a partner with the United States, with
complementary roles
in specific areas. We recommend that the European Space Agency
and the
European Southern Observatory, with the European Union and the
European
Science Foundation, work out a strategy for this purpose in time
for
discussion at the ministerial meeting of the European Space
Agency in 2001.
The Government welcomes this recommendation. The Science
Programme of ESA
has undertaken the task of convening a European forum of
"decision makers"
in the course of 2001 to discuss Europe's role in this area. In
parallel,
the European Science Foundation is preparing a report on
NEOs. The European
Southern Observatory is also keen to be involved in these
discussions.
Organisation in United Kingdom
Recommendation 12
We recommend that the Government appoint a single department to
take the
lead for coordination and conduct of policy on Near Earth
Objects, supported
by the necessary inter-departmental machinery.
The Government accepts this recommendation. The British National
Space
Centre will take the lead in Whitehall on policy in this area.
BNSC is a
successful example of joined up Government which brings together
those
Government Departments and Research Councils with an interest in
civil
space. It includes the majority of Departments or Research
Councils with an
interest in the NEO issue i.e. the Department of Trade and
Industry, Office
of Science and Technology, Ministry of Defence, Foreign and
Commonwealth
Office, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions,
Particle
Physics and Astronomy Research Council, Natural Environment
Research
Council, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and DERA.
As the Department within Government with responsibility for civil
emergencies, the Home Office would take over as Lead Government
Department
in the event of civil emergencies arising from an imminent impact
or the
aftermath of one.
Consultation between BNSC and the Home Office will take place
through close
working with the Home Office Emergency Planning Division.
In addition
coordination meetings will take place between interested
Departments and
Research Councils.
British National Centre for Near Earth Objects
Recommendation 13
We recommend that a British Centre for Near Earth Objects be set
up whose
mission would be to promote and coordinate work on the subject in
Britain;
to provide an advisory service to the Government, other relevant
authorities, the public and the media, and to facilitate British
involvement
in international activities. In doing so it would call on the
Research
Councils involved, in particular the Particle Physics and
Astronomy Research
Council and the Natural Environment Research Council, and on
universities,
observatories and other bodies concerned in Britain.
See the response to recommendation 14 below.
Recommendation 14
We recommend that one of the most important functions of a
British Centre
for Near Earth Objects be to provide a public service which would
give
balanced information in clear, direct and comprehensible language
as need
might arise. Such a service must respond to very different
audiences: on the
one hand Parliament, the general public and the media; and on the
other the
academic, scientific and environmental communities. In all of
this, full use
should be made of the Internet. As a first step, the Task Force
recommends
that a feasibility study be established to determine the
functions, terms of
reference and funding for such a Centre.
At this stage, the Government foresees that a key role for such a
facility
would be to act as a showcase for the public on NEO issues,
providing clear
and balanced information and hence assisting in the public
understanding of
science. The Government will look into the options available for
developing
such a centre.
Other Actions
In addition to the Government's response to the Task Force's
Report, the UK
is taking a leading role in four related developments.
The NEO report and actions arising from it are to be discussed at
the March
meeting of the Inter-Agency Debris Coordination Committee
steering group.
The report is also to be discussed at the Scientific and
Technical
subcommittee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer
Space in
February. At this meeting a joint symposium on Space Hazards will
be held by
the International Scientific Union Committee on Space Research
and the
International Astronautical Federation. NEOs will be
discussed along with
other hazards such as man-made space debris. BNSC will
participate actively
in this symposium to promote consideration of both issues.
BNSC is encouraging ESA to bring the NEO issue to the agenda of
the ESA
International Relations Committee.
BNSC has raised the issue of NEOs within the European Space
Agency's Working
Group for the Space Debris Network of Centres and will continue
to report to
that group on progress.
Finally, the Government would once again like to pay warm tribute
to the
excellent work of the Task Force, led by Dr Harry Atkinson, and
to emphasize
the importance that it attaches to carrying this work forward.
Crown Copyright. http://www.dti.gov.uk/
DTI/Pub /02/01/NP.