NASA's NEO Surveyor mission is the first initiative dedicated entirely to planetary defense from space, with the goal of detecting and tracking asteroids and comets that could threaten Earth. Launch is scheduled for late 2027, using infrared technology to identify near-Earth objects.

NASA's NEO Surveyor mission, scheduled for launch in 2027, is progressing through critical testing phases to improve our planetary defenses.
The mission will use an advanced infrared telescope, housed within a specially designed enclosure, to detect and study asteroids and comets that could pose a threat to Earth.
NEO Surveyor undergoes testing
NASA is currently conducting critical tests for the NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. A key component of the spacecraft, known as the "instrument shell," is a 3.7-meter-long structure designed to protect the infrared telescope and dissipate heat during space operations.
The shell was built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California and shipped to Houston in November. The launch of the NEO Surveyor mission is scheduled for late 2027.
Mission objectives and testing protocols
As NASA's first mission dedicated to planetary defense from space, NEO Surveyor will search for, measure and analyze hard-to-detect asteroids and comets that could pose a threat to Earth. These objects, which are often difficult to see using visible light, emit strong infrared signals as they absorb heat from the Sun.
But first, the mission must perform a series of tests on all the equipment to ensure it will survive launch and operate as designed in the vacuum of space. To do so, a team at NASA's Johnson Space Center, led by BAE Systems, the contractor for NEO Surveyor, exposed the envelope to the cold, airless conditions it will experience in deep space, using the facility's historic Chamber A. This huge thermo-vacuum facility, part of the Space Environment Imaging Laboratory at Johnson Space Center, has previously tested Apollo spacecraft that flew to the moon, and a few years ago, in 2017, the optical element and science instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Future integration and unexpected difficulties
After testing, the shell will be transported to the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) in Logan, Utah, where it will be attached to the telescope's massive aluminum body, known as the "optical bench," which was built at JPL and is now undergoing testing.
JPL was in a mandatory evacuation zone following the Eaton fire. JPL facilities, laboratories, and equipment, including components for the NEO Surveyor, were secured and maintained by essential workers who remained on site during the fire.
About the NEO Surveyor mission
The Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission is NASA's first space-based effort designed to detect and track near-Earth objects (NEOs), including asteroids and comets that could pose a potential threat.
The spacecraft and its instruments are being built by Leading aviation and engineering companies, including: BAE Systems, Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) and-Teledyne
Additionally, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder will support mission operations, while IPAC-Caltech in Pasadena, California, will handle the processing and analysis of the survey data. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) manages JPL on behalf of NASA.
Launch in 2027 with innovative technology
The NEO Surveyor mission is scheduled for launch in late 2027 and will use infrared technology to detect elusive near-Earth asteroids. The key advantage of infrared technology is the ability to identify planetary bodies based on the heat they emit from the Sun, even when they are too dark to be seen in visible light. This mission is expected to significantly improve our ability to provide early warning of hazardous asteroids and protect Earth from potential threats from space.
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