In 2005 Scientists made great headway is in locating new potential threats of objects which could potentially hit the Earth in the future and in calculating their exact tracks as to know exactly when and where they will be as we come close to those trajectories. In fact scientists have a pretty good handle on these things and can know several years in advance of possible Comet and Asteroid Strikes.
With meteors it is a little different as they are generally traveling in groups, we know when certain meteor showers will appear each year and we track those too. When the Japanese Space Team landed a probe on an Asteroid in November of 2005 it was thought that a sensor beacon be placed on to track it and see how close our calculations are next time it comes back around.
In 2005 our equipment and methods of tracking and finding such near Earth object of potential collision got much better and this is a tribute to many of the excellent researchers in the field.
In 2006 we will see more research into how to destroy a near Earth object or divert one which is on a collision course with Planet Earth. We will see more white papers on gravity manipulation and tractor beam theories. We will here more talk of turning those objects coming our way into mineral mining for our space needs and manufacturing on the Moon. Mankind will over come his fear of near Earth objects causing extinction of the species, as we learn how to control those objects. All this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/