NASA launched a spacecraft to test the asteroid defense hypothesis
NASA launched a spacecraft with the mission of crashing into an asteroid and testing whether it would be possible to deflect it off course.
USA TODAY, Storyful
NASA is gearing up for an “Armageddon”-like mission to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid, and it wants the public to see it live.
Asteroids often come close to hitting Earth, but it’s been more than 65 million years since a catastrophic collision with our planet. There has been a renewed interest in objects coming our way since the popularity of the 2021 doomsday comedy Don’t Look Up.
NASA will test its plan in case the scenario actually plays out.
The space agency’s Double Asteroid Redirect Test, or DART, will crash into the asteroid Dimorphos, which orbits a larger asteroid called Didymos, next month. Scientists say no asteroid is headed for Earth, but Dimorphos, about 520 feet long, is an asteroid that could cause significant damage if it were to hit Earth, NASA says.
Regardless of the outcome, the mission will provide astronomers and scientists with important data on what the response would be if an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. Now there is no threat, scientists say.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where an asteroid is headed toward Earth and then we have to test that kind of capability. We want to know how the spacecraft works and what the reaction is going to be … before it’s ever in a situation like this,” Lindley Johnson, NASA’s planetary defense officer, said in November.
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When will DART hit asteroid Dimorphos?
DART will complete its 10-month journey through space on September 26 at 7:14 PM ET. NASA’s live coverage will begin at 6 pm ET.
Ten days earlier, DART will launch a small observation spacecraft that will capture the collision.
Where can I see the impact of the DART mission?
NASA will broadcast the event live on NASA TV and its website. It can also be seen on their Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts.
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What will DART do?
The collision will occur about 6.8 million miles from Earth. Reaching 15,000 mph, DART will not destroy Dimorphos, but will “give it a little bump.” The collision will change the asteroid’s orbit by about 1%, which would be enough to deflect one from Earth.
“It’s such an exciting mission,” DART principal investigator Andy Cheng said in November. “It’s incredible”.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.