Planetary Defense Conference Set For Feb. 23-26
in Garden Grove, California

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.  (2/17/04) -- Scientists and engineers from around the world will gather in Garden Grove, Calif., Feb. 23-26 to investigate strategies and plans for defending Earth from asteroids and comets at Planetary Defense Conference 2004 sponsored by The Aerospace Corporation and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

In addition to providing an overview of the threats and current capabilities for providing warning of incoming asteroids or comets, conference sessions will address defense options for warning times of less than one year and for warning times of five years, ten years, and 20 years. The use of current and proposed technologies will be examined.

The conference will also focus on policy issues related to defending Earth, consider possible consequences of an impact from a large asteroid or comet, and initiate discussion on how nations might prepare for disasters related to possible impacts.

"We are at a unique point in our planet's evolution," said Dr. William H. Ailor of The Aerospace Corporation, conference chair. "For the first time, we may have the capability to control our world's destiny. This conference will help us make plans to defend ourselves and ensure that current life forms don't follow the same path as the dinosaurs."

"An asteroid impact with Earth is the only natural disaster that can literally destroy all of humanity, and it is also the only natural disaster that can be prevented by humankind," said Rusty Schweickart, chairman of the board of the B612 Foundation and former NASA astronaut who is a member of the conference organizing committee and a session chair.

Among other participants and organizers are:

• Space historian William E. Burrows
• Andrea Carusi, president of the Spaceguard Foundation
• Dr. Louis D. Friedman, executive director of The Planetary Society
• John M. Logsdon of George Washington University' Space Policy Institute
• David Morrison of NASA's Astrobiology Institute
• Science fiction writer Larry Niven
• Congressman Dana Rohrabacher
• Dr. Vadim A. Simonenko, Russian Federal Nuclear Center
• Brig. Gen. Simon P. Worden, USAF Space and Missile Command
• Dr. Donald K. Yeomans of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

News media can contact Dave Jonta at 310-336-5041 or david.l.jonta@aero.org to make arrangements to cover.