[meteorite-list] Unbreakable Asteroids

[Meteorites USA]

Well I can't speak for everyone, but I would certainly donate something 
to the cause, it won't be much but perhaps others could as well. Perhaps 
a fundraiser. How many millions are needed? ;) CSS-II sound like a great 
idea. How exciting!

I think this is just the kind of science we need in the meteorite world. 
Meteorites are related to just about every science in some way, and I 
can't think of a more exciting prospect than to find and hunt asteroids 
that will become meteorites. Now how cool is that?

Great work Richard, and congrats again to Greg!

Regards,
Eric

On 3/11/2010 12:25 PM, Richard Kowalski wrote:
>
>
> --- On Thu, 3/11/10, Meteorites USA <eric at meteoritesusa.com> wrote:
>
> > Now who's going to find the next
> > one? Greg, Richard? Anyone?
>
> Thanks Eric.
>
> Every year since 2005, we have discovered a record breaking number of 
> new NEOs. Before October 2008, we had discussed discovering small 
> impactors, but without much expectation of actually doing it. Since 
> then, we have spent a lot more time discussing requirements and 
> strategies needed to increase our odds in discovering more of these 
> objects in their terminal plunge without hindering our primary 
> responsibility, discovering and tracking NEOs which are 1-km in 
> diameter and larger.
>
> Some of you may have read about our proposed second phase survey, 
> dubbed "CSS-II" in the National Research Council's "Defending Planet 
> Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: 
> Final Report", which was released a few months ago. We are confident 
> that this system would likely turn up more small sized impactors 
> before the terminal plunge.
>
> If funded, CSS-II would be a follow on and expansion of our current 
> survey, which is funded through 2013. We are also investigating ways 
> to obtain cameras with larger sensors and Fields of View  than our 
> current cameras. These new cameras would allow us to cover even 
> greater amount of sky in less time. This would also have the added 
> benefit of increasing the odds of finding more small impactors.
>
> It is unlikely that any other current or future survey, with the 
> exception of CSS/CSS-II, will be able to discover these suicidal rocks 
> before (or if), LSST becomes operational sometime after 2016.
>
> Unfortunately with current government budgetary constraints, this 
> desirable upgrade may not take place unless we find a private benefactor.
>
>