01 / Contract Profile

80NSSC21K1983 Federal Contract Award

Agency code 8000

OUR PROPOSED EFFORTS REQUIRE THE MEASUREMENT OF THE PETROGRAPHIC, PHYSICAL, AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF A RANGE OF METEORITE TYPES AT THE CENTIMETER-SCALE. THESE DATA WILL BE USED TO: DEVELOP A MORE THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE BULK PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND STRENGTH BEHAVIOR OF METEORITES, AND BY EXTENSION THE POPULATION OF NEO PARENT BODIES. REVEAL HOW STRENGTH PROPERTIES SCALE WITH SIZE FOR A RANGE OF METEORITE TYPES THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF EARTH-IMPACTING ASTEROIDS. TEST THE ROBUSTNESS OF THE STRENGTH SCALE-DEPENDENCE DERIVED FOR STONY METEORITES. PROVIDE IMPROVED COEFFICIENTS FOR COMMONLY USED DAMAGE MODELS TO ENABLE MORE QUANTITATIVE PREDICTIONS OF THE DISRUPTION OF ATMOSPHERIC BOLIDES, AND LARGE BOULDERS ON ASTEROIDS, AND IMPROVED SIMULATIONS OF ASTEROID DISRUPTION AND DEFLECTION. THE PROPOSED WORK ENCOMPASSES THE SCOPE OF THE YEARLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH IN PLANETARY DEFENSE (YORPD) PROGRAM AS IT INCLUDES LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING METEORITIC MATERIALS THAT DIRECTLY ADD TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEO POPULATION , AND SEEKS TO DETERMINE THE PARAMETERS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS OBJECTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF MITIGATION ACTIONS AGAINST A DETECTED IMPACT THREAT.