It is an exciting time for the up-close study of small bodies (asteroids and comets) using instruments on numerous international flyby, orbital rendezvous, and sample return spacecraft missions.  Some current and planned missions are designed to address fundamental questions in planetary science, including early solar system history, planetary formation, and the role of meteorites in understanding small body compositions.  And some of these missions are designed to directly address Planetary Defense, assessing the potential hazards that a subset of the small bodies population might pose to our planet and the methods by which potentially catastrophic impacts could be mitigated. In this session we plan to feature the latest results from recent successful small bodies mission, as well as the goals and plans for additional future approved and proposed small bodies missions, including those focusing on the upcoming 2029 very close approach of the asteroid Apophis to the Earth.  The global implications of small bodies science and Planetary Defense studies makes international collaboration essential for this topic, and therefor in this session we hope to showcase representative examples of mission results and plans from space agencies and organizations around the world.

It is an exciting time for the up-close study of small bodies (asteroids and comets) using instruments on numerous international flyby, orbital rendezvous, and sample return spacecraft missions.  Some current and planned missions are designed to address fundamental questions in planetary science, including early solar system history, planetary formation, and the role of meteorites in understanding small body compositions.  And some of these missions are designed to directly address Planetary Defense, assessing the potential hazards that a subset of the small bodies population might pose to our planet and the methods by which potentially catastrophic impacts could be mitigated. In this session we plan to feature the latest results from recent successful small bodies mission, as well as the goals and plans for additional future approved and proposed small bodies missions, including those focusing on the upcoming 2029 very close approach of the asteroid Apophis to the Earth.  The global implications of small bodies science and Planetary Defense studies makes international collaboration essential for this topic, and therefor in this session we hope to showcase representative examples of mission results and plans from space agencies and organizations around the world.