for Planetary Defense
Congratulations Brian P. Murphy and Richard E. Cannon of the University of Edinburgh, recipients of the 2026 Schweickart Prize for their winning proposal, Untold Threats: A Worldwide Call to Defend New Frontiers. The proposal calls for expanding planetary defense beyond Earth's surface to protect humanity's growing presence throughout the Earth-Moon system.
The Schweickart Prize Selection Committee would also like to congratulate and acknowledge the 2026 Honorary Mentions. These proposals were selected for their innovative ideas and thoughtful approaches, and represent strong contributions to this year’s field of applicants.
Ian Chow, DiRAC Institute and the Department of Astronomy, University of Washington
Like Streaks Passing in the Night: A Novel One-Tracklet Earth Impactor Detection Pipeline for LSST
Kinthong Lee, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University
The Incremental Benefits of Eccentric Collisions in Asteroid Kinetic Deflection Mission
Finn McGeever, James Beioley, Jack Campbell, Yogesh Andiyappan, Sergio Sanoja Hernandez, Pau Costa Aura, Cranfield University
Project Pathfinder
Founded in 2023, the Schweickart Prize was established with the goal of enhancing our capability to protect life on Earth from the potentially devastating consequences of an asteroid impact — planetary defense.
The prize recognizes graduate students for their innovative ideas and potential leadership in the advancement of planetary defense-related fields including asteroid impact prediction, impact mitigation, mitigation law and policy development, impact economics, and planetary defense public education and communication.
Awarded annually on International Asteroid Day as observed on June 30th, the Schweickart Prize winner will receive a prestigious museum-quality award, with an authenticated meteorite, symbolizing the existential nature of the award's purpose. In addition to the physical award, the prize winner will be granted a cash prize of $10,000 USD. Their winning proposal will be given global exposure through a press campaign, ensuring widespread acknowledgment of their innovative ideas.
The Schweickart Prize commemorates the illustrious career and public leadership of Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut and co-founder of B612 Foundation.
Rusty has made significant contributions to space exploration and planetary defense over his 60-year career in astronautics, government service, and advocacy. His involvement has been instrumental in advancing spaceflight capabilities and raising awareness about the potential threats posed by near-Earth objects (NEOs).
Learn more about Rusty Schweickart.
