Catalogue description Near Earth Objects Website

Please see information at Divisional level.

On 4 January 2000, the Minister for Science (DTI), Lord Sainsbury, announced the setting up of a Task Force on Potentially Hazardous Near Earth Objects - NEOs. (Near-Earth objects are asteroids or comets, believed to be remnants from the formation of the planets, whose orbits brings them close to the Earth). The three-member Task Force was chaired by Dr Harry Atkinson (formerly of the Science and Engineering Research Council and past chairman of the European Space Agency's Council), with Sir Crispin Tickell (Britain's former ambassador to the UN) and Professor David Williams (from University College, London). The British National Space Centre provided the Secretary and general support.

The Task Force was invited to make proposals to the Government on how the UK should best contribute to international effort on Near Earth Objects; and to: (i) Confirm the nature of the hazard and potential levels of risk; (ii) Identify the current UK contribution to international efforts; and Advise the Government on what further action to take in the light of (i) and (ii) and on the communication of issues to the public; and to report to the Director General of the British National Space Centre (BNSC) by the middle of 2000.

The Task Force presented its Report to the Director General of the British National Space Centre in August 2000. In February 2001, the Government revealed its intention to open a Near Earth Object (NEO) information centre as part of its response to a report by its task force on NEOs, and invited bids to run it. In January, 2002, Lord Sainsbury announced that the UK's new centre to analyse the risk of an asteroid impact on Earth and inform the public would be at the National Space Science Centre in Leicester.