Charles "Pete" Conrad Astronomy Awards Act

H.R. 1023, the Charles "Pete" Conrad Astronomy Awards Act, would establish a NASA-led program to recognize amateur astronomers for their contributions to tracking objects in space. The bill authorizes two annual awards of up to $3,000 each for U.S. citizens or permanent residents who either discover the brightest near-Earth asteroid or provide the most significant data to help the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory catalog these objects. By providing financial incentives and formal recognition, the legislation aims to encourage private citizens to assist the government in identifying asteroids that could potentially pose a threat to Earth.