12 2 STA T .4803PUBLIC LA W 110 – 422 —O CT. 1 5, 2008 integra tet h e p arti c ipating EPSCoR State s in b oth e x isting an d ne w ore m erging NA SA research programs and center acti v ities .( c ) N ATION A L S P A CEGR ANT COLLE G EAN DF ELLO WSH IP PRO - GRA M . — NASA sha l l contin u e its emphasis on the importance o f education to expand opportunities for Americans to understand and participate in NASA ’ s aeronautics and space pro j ects b y sup- porting and enhancing science and engineering education , research, and public outreach efforts. TI T LEV III —N E AR- EART HOBJ E C T SSEC.801 . R E AF F I R M A T I ON OF P O L IC Y . (a) REA F FIRMATION OF POLIC Y ONS U R V EYING NEAR-EARTH ASTEROIDS AND COMETS.—Congress reaffirms the policy set forth in section 102 (g) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1 958 ( 4 2 U .S.C. 2451(g)) (relating to surveying near-Earth asteroids and comets). (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON B ENEFITS OF NEAR-EARTH OBJ ECT PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.— I t is the sense of Congress that the near- Earth object program activities of NASA will provide benefits to the scientific and exploration activities of NASA. SEC. 80 2 . FIN D IN G S. Congress ma k es the following findings
(1) Near-Earth objects pose a serious and credible threat to humankind, as many scientists believe that a major asteroid or comet was responsible for the mass extinction of the majority of the Earth’s species, including the dinosaurs, nearly 6 5,000,000 years ago. (2) Several such near-Earth objects have only been discov- ered within days of the objects’ closest approach to Earth and recent discoveries of such large objects indicate that many large near-Earth objects remain undiscovered. ( 3 ) Asteroid and comet collisions rank as one of the most costly natural disasters that can occur. (4) T he time needed to eliminate or mitigate the threat of a collision of a potentially ha z ardous near-Earth object with Earth is measured in decades. (5) Unlike earth q uakes and hurricanes, asteroids and comets can provide adequate collision information, enabling the United States to include both asteroid-collision and comet- collision disaster recovery and disaster avoidance in its public- safety structure. (6) Basic information is needed for technical and policy decisionmaking for the United States to create a comprehensive program in order to be ready to eliminate and mitigate the serious and credible threats to humankind posed by potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids and comets. ( 7 ) As a first step to eliminate and to mitigate the risk of such collisions, situation and decision analysis processes, as well as procedures and system resources, must be in place well before a collision threat becomes known. SEC. 80 3 .RE QU ESTS FOR INFORMATION. The Administrator shall issue requests for information on— 42USC17 7 93. 42 USC 17792. 42 USC 17791.
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