Near-Earth objects (NEO), that is, asteroids and comets whose orbits bring them close to the Earth's orbit, contain a significant amount of information about the formation and evolution of the Solar System. Impacts by these objects are potentially hazardous to the Earth's ecosystem, but at the same time the resources that they contain may offer a way to make life sustainable here on Earth. Understanding how NEOs are distributed in terms of their orbits, sizes, and material compositions is of fundamental importance regardless of why they are studied. We will prepare for and construct the first models of the NEO population based on observational data from three large astronomical surveys to be carried out during the next decade. With the model, we can study the evolution of NEOs from their source regions in the asteroid belt and among short-period comets to their demise, assess the impact threat more accurately than in the past, and estimate the amount of useful resources in NEOs.

2024

2028