Designating June 30, 2025 as “Asteroid Day”.

Designating June 30, 2025 as “Asteroid Day”.

Whereas asteroids pose both a potential threat and a valuable resource for scientific exploration and future space endeavors;

Whereas Asteroid Day, observed annually on June 30th, serves as a global awareness campaign to educate the public about asteroids, their potential impact, and the importance of planetary defense;

Whereas, on February 15, 2013, the Chelyabinsk asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere undetected and exploded in a meteor air burst over central Russia, releasing as much energy as 30 atomic bombs, and seriously injuring 1,491 people;

Whereas, following the Chelyabinsk incident, Asteroid Day was first officially celebrated in 2015, marking the beginning of a dedicated global effort to increase public understanding of asteroids and the risks near-Earth asteroids can pose;

Whereas the Association of Space Explorers, an international organization of astronauts and cosmonauts, has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advocating for global awareness of asteroid impact hazards through initiatives such as the International Asteroid Warning Network and the Space Missions Planning Advisory Group;

Whereas Asteroid Day was first recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016, underscoring the global significance of this educational initiative; and

Whereas the year 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the official celebration of Asteroid Day, providing a significant occasion to reflect on the progress made in asteroid awareness and planetary defense over the past decade: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) designates June 30, 2025 as “Asteroid Day”; and

(2) encourages increased public awareness about the risks posed by asteroids and promotes understanding of the importance of asteroid research and planetary defense.