A History of Near-Earth Objects Research

by Erik M. Conway, Donald K. Yeomans, Meg Rosenburg

In 2016, NASA took on a new defending our planet from devastating impacts by asteroids and comets that approach the Earth, or near-Earth objects. That event, which followed the prominent Chelyabinsk meteor explosion in 2013, reflected a growing interest in, and concern about, the threat of celestial impacts. In ancient times, the solar system’s small bodies—asteroids and comets—were sometimes seen as ill omens and warnings from the gods. In modern times, they have come to be seen as the solar system’s rubble, leftovers from its formation, but were still largely ignored until the late 20th century. Increasingly, they have been seen by scientists as objects worthy of study, by the general public and the U.S. government as potential threats to be mitigated, and by space advocates as future resources. This book tells the fascinating story of these reinterpretations and NASA’s role in them.

464 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2022

About the author

Erik Conway (b. 1965) is a historian of science and technology residing in Pasadena, CA. He is currently employed by the California Institute of Technology. He previously completed a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1998, with a dissertation on the development of aircraft landing aids.

Reviews

[Rick B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book that fluctuated between technical and fascinating. Would have preferred more fascinating, but understand why the technical is there.