Program: GS-2017A-LP-3

We propose for long-term ToO time to followup newly discovered NEOWISE near-Earth objects (NEOs) at southern declinations using Gemini-South/GMOS-S in queue mode. NEOWISE surveys along paths of 90 degrees Solar elongation, meaning it discovers objects at all declinations, but cannot followup these discoveries. NEOWISE, as a thermal infrared survey, does not suffer from the observational biases against low albedo NEOs that plague ground-based surveys, providing the best characterization of the NEO population. However without followup to extend orbital arcs, new discoveries will be lost. The combination of queued observing, large aperture, and readily available imager make Gemini-South/GMOS-S an excellent tool for recovering newly discovered NEOs, and fills a critical gap in worldwide followup capabilities.