Program: GS-2018B-Q-128

Title:The Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey (MANOS) (South)
PI:Nicholas Moskovitz
Co-I(s): Francesca DeMeo, Maxime Devogele, Michael Mommert, Audrey Thirouin, Cristina Thomas, Brian Skiff, Brian Burt, Richard Binzel, David Trilling, Eric Christensen, David Polishook

Abstract

The Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey or MANOS began in 2013 as a physical characterization survey of newly discovered, sub-km, spacecraft-accessible NEOs. With ~100 new NEOs discovered monthly these criteria help to identify only the most interesting objects for follow-up study. Our approach is to build a comprehensive data set of astrometry, photometry and spectroscopy through queue, remote and target of opportunity observations. We propose here to continue our second generation suvey with GMOS on Gemini North and South, extending this important work while building upon the experience and success of the initial MANOS project. Over the next three years this NASA-funded survey will grow our sample of NEO physical properties to ~1000 objects, enabling a wide range of investigations including an unprecedented look into the diversity of NEO physical properties, deeper insight into the compositional distribution of NEOs, a better understanding of the role of planetary encounters in modifying NEO properties, probing compositional links between small NEOs and meteorites, and further development of a telescopic network for reacting to time critical observations such as the discovery of an impacting asteroid.

Publications using this program's data