[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 792 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 792
Designating June 30, 2026, as ``Asteroid Day''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 24, 2026
Mr. Kelly (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Moran) submitted the
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating June 30, 2026, as ``Asteroid Day''.
Whereas asteroids and other near-Earth objects could strike Earth causing
damage, injury, and loss of life;
Whereas asteroids are also a valuable resource for scientific exploration,
offering insights into the origins of our solar system;
Whereas Asteroid Day, observed annually on June 30, raises public awareness
about asteroids, their potential impact, and the importance of planetary
defense;
Whereas June 30 commemorates the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia, the largest
recorded asteroid impact in modern history, which flattened more than
2,000 square kilometers of forest;
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 injuring more
than 1,500 people;
Whereas Asteroid Day was established following the Chelyabinsk incident and
recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016, underscoring
the global significance of risks near-Earth asteroids can pose;
Whereas the Association of Space Explorers, an international organization of
astronauts and cosmonauts, has raised global awareness of asteroid
impact hazards through initiatives such as the International Asteroid
Warning Network and the Space Missions Planning Advisory Group;
Whereas the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, funded by the National Science Foundation
and the Department of Energy, is conducting the Legacy Survey of Space
and Time and is expected to discover millions of unknown asteroids and
solar system objects, expanding humanity's catalog of near-Earth objects
and planetary defense;
Whereas the emerging field of asteroid resource utilization may inspire interest
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
Whereas asteroid detection, deflection, and exploration provide real-world
educational opportunities, connecting scientific principles to the
challenge of protecting Earth;
Whereas citizen science programs, amateur astronomy communities, and informal
science education initiatives have meaningfully contributed to asteroid
discovery and monitoring, demonstrating the value of public
participation in planetary defense;
Whereas public polling has found that roughly 6 in 10 Americans consider
monitoring potentially hazardous asteroids to be among the highest
priorities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(referred to in this preamble as ``NASA''), reflecting broad and durable
public support for planetary defense investment;
Whereas the United States plays a leading role in global efforts to detect,
track, and mitigate near-Earth object threats;
Whereas NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office leads the United States
Government's efforts to detect, track, and coordinate domestic and
international responses to potentially hazardous near-Earth objects;
Whereas NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission demonstrated for the
first time that kinetic impact can alter the trajectory of an asteroid,
representing a milestone in planetary defense;
Whereas NASA's Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission, a space-based infrared
telescope currently in development, is designed to accelerate the
detection and characterization of potentially hazardous asteroids and
comets that come within 30,000,000 miles of Earth;
Whereas the United Nations has designated 2029 the International Year of
Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defense, timed to coincide with the
close approach of asteroid Apophis;
Whereas, in April 2029, asteroid Apophis will pass within approximately 20,000
miles of Earth, closer than many operational satellites, offering a rare
opportunity to study an asteroid at close range through NASA's OSIRIS-
APEX mission;
Whereas the United States, through the Asteroids 2029 U.S. Node, coordinated by
the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, is playing a leading role
in the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defense by
bringing together educators, scientists, and communities across
disciplines and nations to advance the shared goal of protecting Earth
from asteroid impact risks;
Whereas asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered in late 2024, posed one of the highest
recorded probabilities of Earth impact of any known object, prompting
coordinated monitoring that ruled out any threat to Earth in early 2026,
demonstrating the importance of early detection and international
coordination;
Whereas continued investment in asteroid detection, planetary defense research,
and public awareness remains essential to protecting life on Earth; and
Whereas the timely, accurate, and secure sharing of asteroid detection data with
governments and foreign partners is essential to emergency preparedness,
scientific coordination, and global stability, including the ability to
identify a near-Earth object event as non-hostile and distinguish it
from other potential threats: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates June 30, 2026, as ``Asteroid Day'';
(2) encourages increased public awareness about the risks
posed by near-Earth objects and the importance of asteroid
research, detection, tracking, and planetary defense; and
(3) supports continued efforts to improve capabilities to
identify and respond to such threats.
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