NASA’s NEO Surveyor gears up to track hidden asteroids

NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor, a pioneering asteroid-hunting mission, remains on course for its late 2027 launch. A key component, the instrument enclosure, recently returned to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) after rigorous environmental testing at Johnson Space Center. This 12-foot-long shield will protect the spacecraft’s infrared telescope, ensuring it remains cool for optimal asteroid detection.

NEO Surveyor marks NASA’s first dedicated planetary defense mission, using infrared sensors to spot asteroids and comets that are otherwise invisible. Engineers at JPL are currently refining the enclosure in the historic High Bay 1 clean room, sharing space with NASA’s ASTHROS mission. A live feed allows the public to observe the assembly process.

After completion, the enclosure will be transported to Utah’s Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) to be integrated with the telescope’s optical assembly. The telescope itself, built at JPL, arrived at SDL earlier this month. The mission, led by UCLA’s Professor Amy Mainzer, involves top-tier partners like BAE Systems, Teledyne, and the University of Colorado Boulder.

Once in orbit, the NEO Surveyor will scan the cosmos for potential Earth-bound threats, significantly enhancing planetary defense capabilities.

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