Progress Toward an Asteroid Deflection Treaty
- Paper number
IAC-05-E6.4.10
- Author
Dr. Liara Covert, The Xpress Group Pty., Australia
- Year
2005
- Abstract
In 2003, the author presented an IISL paper that examined some interdisciplinary obstacles complicating the draft and implementation of a Near Earth Object (NEO) defense treaty. An updated analysis is justified by new government and societal attention to large-scale disaster planning and response on Earth, and growing international attention to the need for detection, impact hazard determination and policies prior to the deflection of any pending asteroid impact. The paper will argue how interpretations of Principles Relevant to Nuclear Power Sources in Space, the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, and other treaties, only appear to forbid ‘environmental modification’ that creates most notably, “widespread, long- lasting or severe effects as the means of destruction, damage, or injury.” Peaceful uses are explicitly allowed, and would thus support the premise to apply nuclear propulsion to asteroid pushing and deflection. This would benefit from a coordinated, albeit controversial, monitoring body whose role would be outlined in a treaty. The implications of the U.S. position on the Kyoto Protocol, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, will be addressed alongside the evolution of efforts by the B612 Foundation, the World Federation of Scientists Permanent Monitoring Panel (PMP) for Defense Against Cosmic Objects, Spaceguard and the International Council for Science (ICSU), which strongly encourage negotiation of protocols before an impact is predicted. The paper will also make connections between the anticipated Promethius mission, international consensus-building and the state of acceptance of approaches to asteroid deflection strategy.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-05-E6.4.10.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.