Abstract
This chapter summarizes the basics of asteroid observations and characterization, and involvement of sponsoring government agencies and other stakeholders involved in Solar System surveys. We discuss ground-based and space assets, and the involvement of the public and private sector.
The discovery of potentially hazardous asteroids and the topic of impact mitigation attracts public and media attention, and highly motivates discussions between policy-makers and stakeholders. We demonstrate that the current support and research related NEO search is strongly biased toward NASA and the United States, lacking wider participation from other agencies and countries.
Even though international collaboration in gathering and distributing observing data and orbits is freely governed by the MPC under the IAU mandate, and informal collaboration was established by IAWN under UN COPUOS, apart from policies and rules created by NASA and US federal and state authorities, other countries generally do not invest funds in or possess an interest in searching for Solar System objects, or impact mitigation.