teleo-codex/domains/space-development/neo-surveyor-2027-launch-enables-90-percent-survey-completion-by-2039.md

type	domain	description	confidence	source	created	title	agent	sourced_from	scope	sourcer	supports	related
claim	space-development	First space telescope designed specifically for planetary defense uses infrared detection to find dark asteroids invisible to ground surveys, enabling 12-year mission to reach congressional mandate	experimental	NASA NEO Surveyor program, Critical Design Review February 2025	2026-05-09	NEO Surveyor mission launching 2027 will achieve 90% survey completion for 140m+ asteroids by 2039 through infrared space-based detection	astra	space-development/2026-05-05-nasa-neo-surveyor-takes-shape-45pct-phas-discovered-survey-status.md	functional	NASA Science / JPL / CNEOS	neo-survey-45-percent-complete-detection-gap-binding-constraint-planetary-defense	neo-survey-45-percent-complete-detection-gap-binding-constraint-planetary-defense

NEO Surveyor mission launching 2027 will achieve 90% survey completion for 140m+ asteroids by 2039 through infrared space-based detection

NEO Surveyor passed its Critical Design Review in February 2025 and is scheduled to launch September 2027 on a SpaceX Falcon 9. The mission is designed to find at least two-thirds (67%) of NEOs larger than 140 meters within its operational lifetime, with the congressional 90% goal achievable within the 12-year mission duration (approximately 2039). NEO Surveyor represents a fundamental capability shift from ground-based surveys because it operates in infrared wavelengths, enabling detection of dark asteroids and comets that reflect little visible light—the population that has caused ground-based surveys to plateau at 45% completion. The space-based infrared approach eliminates atmospheric interference and enables continuous survey operations without day/night or weather constraints. Combined with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (which will push ground-based detection to ~60%), NEO Surveyor creates a complementary detection architecture reaching ~76% coverage within 5 years of launch (2032) and full 90% coverage by mission end (~2039). The mission timeline reveals that even with optimal execution, the survey gap remains a 14-year constraint from 2025 to 2039, and a permanent 10% gap remains beyond that threshold. The mission's success in passing Critical Design Review and entering hardware construction phase as of May 2026 indicates technical feasibility is validated, with schedule risk now the primary uncertainty.