Could radar telescopes be the key to protecting planet Earth?
According to the new decadal survey by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, one of the best tools to help protect the planet against the impact of near-Earth objects like asteroids is ground-based planetary radar.
The decadal survey, in which researchers look ahead for the next ten-plus years, calls for the further development of radar systems to aid in planetary protection by imaging newly discovered NEOs. Those images could help determine the probability and severity of a potential impact. Fortunately, several such projects are in the works by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which operates telescopes across the globe, and the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) in West Virginia.
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