The LINEAR (Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research) program leads in the
discovery of the NEOs larger than one kilometer so this survey is largely
responsible for successfully meeting the so-called Spaceguard goal of
finding 90% of the NEOs with a diameter of one kilometer or larger. The
LINEAR program, run by MIT's Lincoln Lab, has applied electro-optical
sensor technology developed for US Air Force Space Surveillance applications
to the problem of discovering near-Earth asteroids and comets. LINEAR
has been a significant contributor to NEO discoveries since the program
inception in March 1998. The program will continue this consistent and
reliable NEO search program while seeking ways to further expand the survey
capacity through continually fielding improved algorithms and shared use
of new space surveillance assets. The legacy 1.0-meter LINEAR telescope
system is located at Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site (ETS)
near Stallion Range Center on the US Army's White Sand Missile Range (WSMR)
in central New Mexico.
In 2013, the Laboratory discontinued use
of the 1.0-meter system while transitioning to the use of the 3.5 m Space
Surveillance Telescope (SST). This novel telescope system was developed
with DARPA funding and is advantageously located within WSMR on Atom Peak
at 2400m elevation.
All validated asteroid observations made by the LINEAR program will be
submitted to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center
(MPC) to be combined with observations by other programs and disseminated
to the wider astronomical community.
LINEAR discovery telescopes
Legacy: 1.0-m, f/2.2, Obs. code = 704, 2 sq. deg., 2.25 arcsec/px
SST: 3.5-m, f/1.0, Obs. Code = N/A, 6 sq. deg., 0.89 arcsec/px
Dr. Grant Stokes is the principal investigator for the LINEAR program.
For more information, see: http://www.ll.mit.edu/mission/space/linear/