[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." ### 109-78 Received on Thu 19 May 2005 01:29:07 PM PDT |
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