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Archimedes Institute Says Problems Of Asteroid Defense Not Just Technical

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Lawrence D. Roberts
Tel: (212) 744-5667
E-mail:  archimedes@permanent.com

               ARCHIMEDES INSTITUTE SAYS PROBLEMS OF 
                 ASTEROID DEFENSE NOT JUST TECHNICAL

(New York, NY) -- March 13, 1998 -- The announcement by scientists that
Asteroid 1997 XF11 will pass close to the Earth in 2028 as well as the
upcoming films "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" have revived interest by the
general public and media in the possibility of creating a defense against the
possibility of a devastating impact. The Archimedes Institute said today,
however, that in addition to the immense technical challenges of protecting
the planet against an asteroid or comet, there are a host of thorny legal
issues that must be resolved.

"The discovery of Asteroid 1997 XF11 merely serves to illustrate how
unprepared the government is to deal with this kind of low-probability, high-
consequence risk."  said Lawrence Roberts, Director of the Archimedes
Institute and a professor at Seton Hall University School of Law.  "Our
institutions regularly neglect to provide the resources necessary to mitigate
the danger from such destructive events."

In the specific case of planetary defense, the policy problems run even
deeper.  Given the likelihood that nuclear explosions would be necessary to
deflect an oncoming asteroid, international agreements designed to reduce
tensions during the Cold War present their own obstacles to an effective
response.  For example, the agreement commonly known as the Outer Space Treaty
prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons anywhere in outer space.  Just as
important to the success of an asteroid defense, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
of 1963 prevents the testing of any nuclear device in any part of the high
frontier.

"Clearly, if it were simply a matter of launching a rocket with a nuclear
payload at a wayward asteroid, such legal obstacles would not be a significant
consideration.  The process of diverting an asteroid, though, is not nearly so
simple."  Roberts noted.  "Any effective response will require years, if not
decades, of preparation -- more than long enough for the more 'down to Earth'
concerns of nuclear proliferation to intrude.  We would be faced with the very
real possibility of legal fiddling while the Earth remains in danger of
burning."

Despite the danger, these spaceborne hazards are seen as a great opportunity
by many in the space advocacy community.  Some see the threat as a reason to
nudge these small bodies into stable but commercially exploitable orbits,
thereby removing the immediate risk to Earth and providing a potentially
lucrative mining concern at the same time.  

These asteroid mining enterprises, however, pose their own legal problems.
"By moving these asteroids from their original orbits, the developers would be
risking liability of titanic proportions." says Professor Roberts.  "New
standards in liability and property rights are needed in order to ensure the
protection of all concerned."

The Archimedes Institute is an independent, aerospace law and policy research
organization headquartered in New York City.  The Institute is working to
improve the regulatory climate through the generation and dissemination of
reasoned policy analysis, the enhancement of communication between government,
academia, the commercial sector and the general public, and the implementation
of private policy initiatives.  

Information on the Archimedes Institute is available at:

     http://www.permanent.com/archimedes/

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