Congratulations to Jordan Stone, Jim Buhler, Youssef Saleh, and Kosuke Ikeya, the 2025 Schweickart Prize awardees, for their proposal, The Panel on Asteroid Orbit Alteration (PAOA): Facing the Next Chapter in Planetary Defense. Their proposal advocates for the creation of an international body to address the risks of unintended asteroid orbit changes from future space activity.
The Panel on Asteroid Orbit Alteration (PAOA)
Extensive work has gone into understanding natural asteroid threats, but we are now entering an era where human activities, such as asteroid mining, scientific research, or even habitation, could unintentionally alter asteroid orbits. Even small disturbances, like a spacecraft collision or mass removal, have the potential to shift an asteroid’s path. If these changes aren’t properly monitored or communicated, they could disrupt existing tracking and prediction systems.
Such orbital changes in the main asteroid belt could also increase the number of objects crossing into Earth’s vicinity or trigger cascading collisions among asteroids. Beyond the technical challenges, these risks raise legal and geopolitical questions around responsibility, oversight, and coordination when human actions alter an asteroid’s course.
To address these emerging issues, the proposal calls for the creation of an international body—the Panel on Asteroid Orbit Alteration (PAOA). This panel would bring together technical experts, legal scholars, and international space organizations to coordinate research, set shared standards, and promote responsible practices. Its structure would build on existing efforts, such as the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), the Space Mission Planning and Advisory Group (SMPAG), and the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection.
As asteroid mining and other space-based operations expand, the need for proactive international coordination becomes more pressing. The PAOA could play a key role in making sure Earth’s safety isn’t compromised by unintended outcomes of space exploration. By starting this work now, while such activities are still in early stages, the proposal aims to lay a foundation for responsible governance before challenges arise. The team envisions this leading to clear guidance, practical tools for assessing risk, and policy recommendations that can support decision-makers at both national and international levels.
To read Stone and his team’s proposal in full, click here.