E10.2 Key Takeaways from the 5th Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise
Symposium: E10. IAF SYMPOSIUM ON PLANETARY DEFENSE AND NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS
Session: 2. Informing Planetary Defense
Day: Friday 18.10.2024
Time: 13:45 CEST
Room: Space Hall 4
The 5th U.S.-based Interagency Planetary Defense Tabletop Exercise (PD TTX5) took place in April 2024. The exercise informed preparedness and response capabilities, including international coordination and involvement, for an asteroid impact threat. Sponsored by the NASA Planetary Defense Coordination Office, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Department of State Office of Space Affairs, PD TTX5 included officials from across the globe. The exercise took place at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
The hypothetical scenario was that an asteroid has been discovered with a significant chance of Earth impact in about fourteen years. The scenario included many realistic uncertainties, but data indicated that the asteroid could be large enough to devastate a regional- to country-scale area if it should impact. Part of the exercise examined how to proceed effectively given the many large uncertainties in order to gain better information and reduce the risks in the final outcomes of the scenario.
The objectives of the exercise included (1) Raise awareness of the nature of asteroid threats and challenges related to preparing an effective international response, (2) Explore potential in-space responses to an asteroid threat with >10 years of warning time, including international collaboration and contributions, (3) Assess the challenges of and readiness for international emergency preparedness and response to an asteroid impact that would be large enough to devastate entire regions, and (4) Identify current mechanisms for and barriers to international asteroid threat-related information sharing and communications, including public messaging strategies. The exercise was designed and implemented based on FEMA’s Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program doctrine.
This presentation will discuss the key takeaways from the exercise with the objective of improving capabilities for response to a potential real-world asteroid impact threat.