-CITE- 51 USC CHAPTER 711 - NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS 01/03/2012 (112-90) -EXPCITE- TITLE 51 - NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS Subtitle VII - Access to Space CHAPTER 711 - NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS -HEAD- CHAPTER 711 - NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS -MISC1- Sec. 71101. Reaffirmation of policy. 71102. Requests for information. 71103. Developing policy and recommending responsible Federal agency. 71104. Planetary radar. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR. NEAR-EARTH OBJECT SURVEY Pub. L. 109-155, title III, Sec. 321, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2922, provided that: "(a) Short Title. - This section may be cited as the 'George E. Brown, Jr. Near-Earth Object Survey Act'. "(b) Findings. - The Congress makes the following findings: "(1) Near-Earth objects pose a serious and credible threat to humankind, as many scientists believe that a major asteroid or comet was responsible for the mass extinction of the majority of the Earth's species, including the dinosaurs, nearly 65,000,000 years ago. "(2) Similar objects have struck the Earth or passed through the Earth's atmosphere several times in the Earth's history and pose a similar threat in the future. "(3) Several such near-Earth objects have only been discovered within days of the objects' closest approach to Earth, and recent discoveries of such large objects indicate that many large near- Earth objects remain undiscovered. "(4) The efforts taken to date by NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] for detecting and characterizing the hazards of near-Earth objects are not sufficient to fully determine the threat posed by such objects to cause widespread destruction and loss of life. "(c) Definitions. - For purposes of this section the term 'near- Earth object' means an asteroid or comet with a perihelion distance of less than 1.3 Astronomical Units from the Sun. "(d) Near-Earth Object Survey. - "(1) Survey program. - The Administrator [of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration] shall plan, develop, and implement a Near-Earth Object Survey program to detect, track, catalogue, and characterize the physical characteristics of near- Earth objects equal to or greater than 140 meters in diameter in order to assess the threat of such near-Earth objects to the Earth. It shall be the goal of the Survey program to achieve 90 percent completion of its near-Earth object catalogue (based on statistically predicted populations of near-Earth objects) within 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 30, 2005]. "(2) [Amended former section 2451 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.] "(3) Fifth-year report. - The Administrator shall transmit to the Congress, not later than February 28 of the fifth year after the date of enactment of this Act, a report that provides the following: "(A) A summary of all activities taken pursuant to paragraph (1) since the date of enactment of this Act. "(B) A summary of expenditures for all activities pursuant to paragraph (1) since the date of enactment of this Act. "(4) Initial report. - The Administrator shall transmit to Congress not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act an initial report that provides the following: "(A) An analysis of possible alternatives that NASA may employ to carry out the Survey program, including ground-based and space-based alternatives with technical descriptions. "(B) A recommended option and proposed budget to carry out the Survey program pursuant to the recommended option. "(C) Analysis of possible alternatives that NASA could employ to divert an object on a likely collision course with Earth." -End- -CITE- 51 USC Sec. 71101 01/03/2012 (112-90) -EXPCITE- TITLE 51 - NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS Subtitle VII - Access to Space CHAPTER 711 - NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS -HEAD- Sec. 71101. Reaffirmation of policy -STATUTE- Congress reaffirms the policy set forth in section 20102(g) of this title (relating to surveying near-Earth asteroids and comets). -SOURCE- (Pub. L. 111-314, Sec. 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3439.) -MISC1- HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Revised Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) Section -------------------------------------------------------------------- 71101 42 U.S.C. 17791(a). Pub. L. 110-422, title VIII, Sec. 801(a), Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4803. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FINDINGS Pub. L. 110-422, title VIII, Sec. 802, Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4803, provided that: "Congress makes the following findings: "(1) Near-Earth objects pose a serious and credible threat to humankind, as many scientists believe that a major asteroid or comet was responsible for the mass extinction of the majority of the Earth's species, including the dinosaurs, nearly 65,000,000 years ago. "(2) Several such near-Earth objects have only been discovered within days of the objects' closest approach to Earth and recent discoveries of such large objects indicate that many large near- Earth objects remain undiscovered. "(3) Asteroid and comet collisions rank as one of the most costly natural disasters that can occur. "(4) The time needed to eliminate or mitigate the threat of a collision of a potentially hazardous near-Earth object with Earth is measured in decades. "(5) Unlike earthquakes and hurricanes, asteroids and comets can provide adequate collision information, enabling the United States to include both asteroid-collision and comet-collision disaster recovery and disaster avoidance in its public-safety structure. "(6) Basic information is needed for technical and policy decisionmaking for the United States to create a comprehensive program in order to be ready to eliminate and mitigate the serious and credible threats to humankind posed by potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids and comets. "(7) As a first step to eliminate and to mitigate the risk of such collisions, situation and decision analysis processes, as well as procedures and system resources, must be in place well before a collision threat becomes known." -End- -CITE- 51 USC Sec. 71102 01/03/2012 (112-90) -EXPCITE- TITLE 51 - NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS Subtitle VII - Access to Space CHAPTER 711 - NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS -HEAD- Sec. 71102. Requests for information -STATUTE- The Administrator shall issue requests for information on - (1) a low-cost space mission with the purpose of rendezvousing with, attaching a tracking device,(!1) and characterizing the Apophis asteroid; and (2) a medium-sized space mission with the purpose of detecting near-Earth objects equal to or greater than 140 meters in diameter. -SOURCE- (Pub. L. 111-314, Sec. 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3439.) -MISC1- HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Revised Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) Section -------------------------------------------------------------------- 71102 42 U.S.C. 17793. Pub. L. 110-422, title VIII, Sec. 803, Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4803. -------------------------------------------------------------------- -FOOTNOTE- (!1) So in original. The comma probably should be preceded by "to". -End- -CITE- 51 USC Sec. 71103 01/03/2012 (112-90) -EXPCITE- TITLE 51 - NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS Subtitle VII - Access to Space CHAPTER 711 - NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS -HEAD- Sec. 71103. Developing policy and recommending responsible Federal agency -STATUTE- Within 2 years after October 15, 2008, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall - (1) develop a policy for notifying Federal agencies and relevant emergency response institutions of an impending near- Earth object threat, if near-term public safety is at risk; and (2) recommend a Federal agency or agencies to be responsible for - (A) protecting the United States from a near-Earth object that is expected to collide with Earth; and (B) implementing a deflection campaign, in consultation with international bodies, should one be necessary. -SOURCE- (Pub. L. 111-314, Sec. 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3439.) -MISC1- HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Revised Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) Section -------------------------------------------------------------------- 71103 42 U.S.C. 17794. Pub. L. 110-422, title VIII, Sec. 804, Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4804. -------------------------------------------------------------------- In the matter before paragraph (1), the date "October 15, 2008" is substituted for "the date of enactment of this Act" to reflect the date of enactment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008. -End- -CITE- 51 USC Sec. 71104 01/03/2012 (112-90) -EXPCITE- TITLE 51 - NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS Subtitle VII - Access to Space CHAPTER 711 - NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS -HEAD- Sec. 71104. Planetary radar -STATUTE- The Administrator shall maintain a planetary radar that is comparable to the capability provided through the Deep Space Network Goldstone facility of the Administration. -SOURCE- (Pub. L. 111-314, Sec. 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3439.) -MISC1- HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Revised Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) Section -------------------------------------------------------------------- 71104 42 U.S.C. 17795. Pub. L. 110-422, title VIII, Sec. 805, Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4804. -------------------------------------------------------------------- -End-