ESA partners with UN COPUOS on responses to asteroid threats, including basic research and development, impact mitigation measures and deflection missions

ESA’s Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme partners with many countries, organizations and individuals. In particular, the SSA Programme has strong links to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), which facilitates the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) and the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN). SMPAG and IAWN were both established in response to the need for an international response to the threat of near-Earth object (NEO) impacts. SMPAG (pronounced ‘same page’) coordinates the technological know-how of agencies, including ESA, recommending specific responses to asteroid threats, including basic research and development, impact mitigation measures and deflection missions. Depending on the capabilities and specific technologies available to each agency, options are made to ensure the best use is made of skills of each organization. ESA’s primary projects are the SSA programme - in particular, the dedicated near-Earth object segment, mapping of threat scenarios to mission types, as well as AIM – ESA’s Asteroid Impact Mission.