Future of Earth's defense is ground-based planetary radar
Published Date: 4/20/2022
Source: phys.org
Powerful radar systems have played a major role in the study of planets, moons, asteroids, and other objects in our Solar System for several decades, and now have a "unique role" to play in planetary defense—"providing protection to the nations of the world from devastating asteroid and comet impacts," according to the newly released Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023–2032. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) are developing new capabilities for the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) that will make them key instruments for meeting this need.