Calling Ted Hamner! (lead character of the Niven/Pournelle must-read "Lucifer's Hammer")
I forgot his name but read the book. Actually, I posted awhile ago (after the Columbia disaster) that one of the best justifications for an international space effort would be "Spaceguard" as described in Arthur C. Clarke's "Rendesvous with Rama". Actually, it's nicely findable with Google, so here it is: