The Sentinel mission aims to identify and catalog 500,000 near-Earth asteroids, addressing the potential threat they pose to Earth. The initiative follows the close encounter of asteroid 2012 DA14 on February 15, 2013, which passed within 28,000 kilometers of Earth, highlighting the need for better monitoring of such celestial bodies. By analyzing the size, shape, and composition of these asteroids, the mission seeks to enhance our understanding of their characteristics and improve planetary defense strategies.
PREREQUISITESAstronomers, aerospace engineers, planetary defense researchers, and anyone interested in the monitoring and characterization of near-Earth objects.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/satellites/sentinels-mission-to-find-500000-nearearth-asteroidsHumankind lives in a cosmic shooting gallery. For evidence of that, we need look no further than the events of 15 February 2013. On that day, a medium-size asteroid was set to pass some 28,000 kilometers from Earth, unusually close and well within the orbits of geosynchronous satellites. Dubbed 2012 DA14, the rock was first spotted the previous year. Since then, astronomers had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to take a closer look and measure such vitals as size, shape, and composition.