Knowledge of small bodies (asteroids, TNOs and comets), the relic of planet building blocks, directly sheds light on the formation of planets. The physical characteristics of these primitive bodies hold keys to understanding the formation and evolution of our solar system, which is the closest and the only planetary system that can be studied in details. Small bodies are likely directly relevant to the origin of terrestrial water and organics, and therefore the origin of life. In addition, near earth asteroids pose a clear and present threat to life on Earth today and thus are not only the focus of great scientific interest, but also of  societal interest.

In the East Asia region, there are some fast developments in planetary science. Notably, China launched the Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) also known as the Chang'e program and future small body missions are currently developing in China. Japan’s first Hayabusa mission was quite successful and Hayabusa2 is currently on its way to asteroid (162173) Ryugu. Besides space missions, several ground-based observing facilities have been completed or will be available in the next decade, such as FAST, Antarctic dome-A telescopes, 12-m telescopes, and TMT. Last but not least, the East Asian Observatory (EAO) was recently formed to pursue joint projects in astronomy within the East Asian region. 

This three-day workshop aims at promoting the solar system small body studies in Asia and enhancing international collaborations and building observational networks. In addition, we would like to discuss current and future projects with the state-of-the-art facilities such as FAST, GAIA, ALMA and JWST.