The usual way space scientists get their funds is to raise the need for their research, and then money for some of the currently funded work gets quietly reduced in the budget process. For example, the Pluto folks press their case, and their work gets funded, and money for Mars is quietly reduced in the budget process. No one gets hurt feelings...

With asteroids and comets, in the past the money has not been needed to have a probe or more importantly a launcher built. Thus requests for funds by the astronomers and orbital dynamicists and database folks have been ignored, and ignored consistently for at least 20 years.

In the recent past these things have hit and killed large numbers of people. This is a major hazard, and while you might not understand this, it ranks right up there with the terrorists.

So what to do?

First, ask for a space telescope and a launcher. That way the launch service providers come onboard.

Second, for many "space enthusiasts" Mars plays a role in their fantasy lives, and thus Mars always gets good press and funding. So always link the impact hazard with funding for Mars studies, and that way every time Mars comes up you can bring up the fact that the dealing with the impact hazard is not being sufficiently funded. (By the way, the Minor Planet Center urgently needs a small amount of additional funds immediately.)

Sending men to Mars will be nice. Let's do it after we've dealt with the impact hazard.

EP