Guess what else the sequester hurts? Our ability to track a ‘city-killer’ asteroid

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/03/19/city-killer-asteroids-are-extremely-rare-but-it-takes-only-one/

The Cycle, MSNBC

Guess what else the sequester hurts? Our ability to track a ‘city-killer’ asteroid
Ali Vitali, @alivitali
9:05 PM on 03/19/2013

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File Photo: This image taken with a meteorite tracking device developed by George Varros, shows a meteorite as it enters Earth's atmosphere during the Leonid meteor shower November 19, 2002. The device, which is deployed on board a NASA DC-8, tracks and photographs meteorites. (Photo by George Varros and Dr. Peter Jenniskens/NASA/Getty Images, File)

File Photo: This image taken with a meteorite tracking device developed by George Varros, shows a meteorite as it enters Earth’s atmosphere during the Leonid meteor shower November 19, 2002. The device, which is deployed on board a NASA DC-8, tracks and photographs meteorites. (Photo by George Varros and Dr. Peter Jenniskens/NASA/Getty Images, File)

One of the closest asteroid approaches and fly-bys of the Earth’s atmosphere happened on February 14th. The very next day, a meteor hit Russia’s Chelyabinsk region. The two celestial events were unrelated. “One was predicted; the other was not,” House Space Committee members Reps. Rush Holt and Donna Edwards wrote. And unless the government is able to maintain NASA’s pre-sequester funding levels, the U.S. may not be able to predict what’s falling towards us–or when–for much longer.

The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology had Part 1 of its hearing on Threats from Space. John P. Holdren, Senior Adviser to President Obama on science and technology, testified before the House panel on Tuesday, along with U.S. Air Force Space Command’s General William L. Shelton and Charles F. Bolden Jr. from NASA.

NBC reports that “representatives from both parties were receptive to the idea of putting more resources into the effort to counter cosmic threats,” but more money in a time of cries for austerity and sequester furloughs is not easy to come by. Committee Chairman Lamar Smith acknowledged the painful reality, saying he doesn’t expect NASA to “somehow defy budget gravity and get an increase when everyone else is getting cuts.” But, he said, scientists must still be able to explore.
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Makes sense. Easy to liquidate a rogue state capital with a kinetic energy weapon that's rumoured to exist as it would mimick a meteor/asteroid strike. Harry soetero has now absolved himself of all accountability or guilt since he's not funded for such things....