It sounds like the plot of a movie, but it’s actually an experiment that could have big implications for protecting the planet.
Want to see a spaceship crash into an asteroid… for science?
It is very similar to the plot of the movie, but in reality it is a NASA experiment which can have big implications for planetary protection. If a spacecraft called Dart can put a small, harmless asteroid into a modified orbit, we may have a fighting chance if a killer asteroid ever finds itself in Earth’s path.
NASA says it will broadcast a live feed from the spacecraft, which you can watch below and on the agency’s website site.
According to the schedule for NASA Live Web Page, beginning live at 6:00 PM ET. At the time of the crash, NASA is targeting 19:14 EST.
The $325 million planetary defense test aims to nudge the asteroid (called Dimorphos, in case you’re wondering) into a narrower path around the larger space rock it’s orbiting. We won’t know right away if the test will work—it may take days or weeks to measure changes.
Anyway, NASA says there is no chance Dimorphos or his larger friend will someday threaten Earth.
What to expect:
Dart, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, has only one camera for navigation, targeting and imaging.
Dimorphos will appear as a point of light in the hour before the collision, which will grow larger and larger in the camera images pointed at Earth. Managers are confident that the Dart will not crash into a large space rock by mistake. The spacecraft’s navigation is designed to distinguish between the two asteroids and target the smaller one.
You won’t see an action movie explosion as the Dart, lighter than a compact car at 1,260 pounds, slams into the 11 billion pound Dimorphos.
“It’s really about deflecting the asteroid, not disrupting it,” said Nancy Shabat, a planetary scientist and mission team leader at the Johns Hopkins University Laboratory who is leading the project. the Associated Press reported. “It won’t blow up an asteroid. It won’t break it into many pieces.’
Instead, the crash will create a large crater and eject 2 million pounds of rocks and dirt into space. And of course, that would be the end of the road for Darth.
What if it misses?
NASA estimates the chance of a miss to be less than 10%. If the Dart misses both asteroids, it will try again in a couple of years for Double 2.
Associated Press reporter Marcia Dunn contributed to this report.
https://www.wtol.com/article/news/nation-world/nasa-spacecraft-asteroid/507-0a5dc01b-3ecc-4153-b3c6-f61fe51b3d5f
