[meteorite-list] Near-Earth Object Survey Act Bill Sails Through House Committee

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu May 19 13:29:43 2005
Message-ID: <200505191729.j4JHT7A23230_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.house.gov/science/press/109/109-78.htm

Committee on Science
SHERWOOD BOEHLERT, CHAIRMAN
Bart Gordon, Tennessee, Ranking Democrat

Press Contacts:
Joe Pouliot <mailto:Joe.Pouliot_at_mail.house.gov>
(202) 225-4275

House Committee on Science
Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Chairman
Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Minority Memberwww.house.gov/science

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2005
Contact: Joe Pouliot, 202-225-0581
joe.pouliot_at_mail.house.gov

NOAA, NASA BILLS SAIL THROUGH COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Science Committee today favorably reported
out four bills related to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA).

By voice votes, the Committee passed H.R. 50, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Act; H.R. 2364, to establish a Science and
Technology Scholarship Program to award scholarships to recruit and
prepare students for careers in the National Weather Service and in
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine research,
atmosphere research, and satellite programs; H.R. 426, Remote Sensing
Applications Act; and H.R. 1022, George E. Brown Jr. Near-Earth Object
Survey Act.

"All of these bills will improve our lives through increasing our
understanding of the Earth, how it works and what may threaten it,"
Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) said. "As usual,
these bills represent a bipartisan effort. I look forward to their
passage."

[snip]

H.R. 1022, also introduced by Rep. Rohrabacher, would establish a
program within NASA to detect, track, catalogue, and characterize the
physical properties of near-Earth asteroids and comets equal to or
greater than 100 meters in diameter in order to assess the threat of
Earth being struck by such near-Earth objects. The bill would authorize
appropriations for the program of $20 million for each of fiscal years
2006 through 2007.

Rep. Rohrabacher said, "The potential catastrophe of an asteroid
hitting Earth should no longer be ignored. We need to know what is out
there. Accounts of asteroids passing close to Earth with almost no
prior warning should be enough to get our attention. The first step is
to assess the threat. Given the vast number of asteroids and comets that
inhabit the Earth's neighborhood, greater efforts for tracking and
monitoring these objects are critical. This bill would direct NASA to
expand their current program to track and detect potential threats and
would provide a funding authorization. Any threat that would wreak
havoc on or world should be studied and prevented if possible. We have
the technology, we need the direction - this bill provides that."

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109-78
Received on Thu 19 May 2005 01:29:07 PM PDT