introduction & brief description
B612 is a private, non-profit organization based in San Francisco that was founded with the goal of protecting Earth from potentially catastrophic asteroid impacts. It was named after the fictional asteroid home of the character “The Little Prince” in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s eponymous novel.
B612’s mission is to significantly reduce the threat of asteroid impacts on Earth by discovering, tracking, and characterizing near-Earth asteroids. The organization aims to do this by developing and testing new technologies for discovering and deflecting asteroids, as well as by raising public awareness about the potential dangers posed by asteroids.
B612 has a number of initiatives underway to achieve its mission, including the Sentinel Mission, which will be the first privately-funded deep space mission. Sentinel will be equipped with an infrared telescope that will survey the inner solar system to locate and track potentially hazardous asteroids. The data collected by Sentinel will be used to create a comprehensive map of the asteroid population, which will help to better understand the threat posed by these objects and inform future decision-making about asteroid defense.
In addition to its technological initiatives, B612 is also working to raise awareness about the threat of asteroid impacts and to advocate for increased investment in asteroid defense. The organization has collaborated with a number of partners, including NASA, to educate the public about the dangers posed by asteroids and to encourage the development of technologies to defend against them.
In conclusion, B612 is a privately-funded organization dedicated to protecting Earth from potentially catastrophic asteroid impacts. Through its initiatives to discover and track asteroids, as well as its advocacy and education efforts, B612 is working to reduce the threat posed by these objects and to ensure the long-term safety of our planet.
