NASA’s DART Mission Hits Asteroid in First-Ever Planetary Defense Test
NASA’s DART Mission Hits Asteroid in First-Ever Planetary Defense Test
The world’s first planetary defense technology demonstration – successfully impacted its asteroid target on Monday, the agency’s first attempt to move an asteroid in space.
The world’s first planetary defense technology demonstration – successfully impacted its asteroid target on Monday, the agency’s first attempt to move an asteroid in space.
Mission control at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, announced the successful impact at 7:14 p.m. EDT.
Mission control at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, announced the successful impact at 7:14 p.m. EDT.
DART focused on the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, a tiny rock with a diameter of only 530 feet (160 metres). It revolves around the bigger Didymos, a 2,560-foot (780-meter) asteroid.
DART focused on the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, a tiny rock with a diameter of only 530 feet (160 metres). It revolves around the bigger Didymos, a 2,560-foot (780-meter) asteroid.
These mechanisms led the 570-kilogram, box-shaped spaceship into Dimorphos through the final 56,000 miles (90,000 kilometres) of space.
These mechanisms led the 570-kilogram, box-shaped spaceship into Dimorphos through the final 56,000 miles (90,000 kilometres) of space.
The mission's successful one-way flight demonstrated that NASA can steer a spacecraft to kinetically contact an asteroid in order to divert it.
The mission's successful one-way flight demonstrated that NASA can steer a spacecraft to kinetically contact an asteroid in order to divert it.
It revolves around the bigger Didymos, a 2,560-foot (780-meter) asteroid. There is no danger to Earth from either asteroid.
It revolves around the bigger Didymos, a 2,560-foot (780-meter) asteroid. There is no danger to Earth from either asteroid.
Over the coming weeks, they will characterize the ejecta produced and precisely measure Dimorphos’ orbital change to determine how effectively DART deflected the asteroid.
Over the coming weeks, they will characterize the ejecta produced and precisely measure Dimorphos’ orbital change to determine how effectively DART deflected the asteroid.