I know, I know, another meeting. But 2025 is an odd-numbered year… it’ll be PDC time again!
iaaspace.org/event/9th-iaa-planetary-defense-conference-2025/
This time, it will be in Stellenbosch, South Africa, slightly later than usual – May 5-9, 2005. Southern hemisphere, maybe?
In case the letters “PDC” don’t really ring a bell, the issue of a meteor-related incident should ring plenty of bells. Since the 2000’s incept, this has been pretty much the premiere event among impact and mitigation circles (though see my later post in a few days…) The global community- ESA, JAXA, Roscosmos, newcomers, plus universities and industry (including newspace) discusses our post-Tunguska, post-EME, post-Chelyabinsk initiatives. Submission is now open, prepare and apply now.
As part of the conference, there is a tabletop exercise for the whole chain: from astronomy (including orbit determination and body characterization), to decision makers, to mitigation (deflection engineering) all the way to civil defense (evacuation, at minimum shelter). The scenario for this year’s exercise is posted:
cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/pd/cs/pdc25/
At the exercise, representatives from these stakeholders will run through their standing procedures, in search of any flaws or bottlenecks. Or who knows what- the learning curve of learning. That’s the whole point of an exercise, so the learning doesn’t take place during an actual threat.
And when you click these links, you will see that all these stakeholders cannot hide the exercise. Press in South Africa will be able to get credentials and see the conference. Gee, real government cover-up, eh?