NASA spacecraft to collide with asteroid for first time: What will happen?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the world waits with bated breath as the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is set to clash with an asteroid on Monday, 26 September. “We are moving an asteroid,” CNN quoted Tom Statler, NASA program scientist for the DART mission. “We are changing the motion of a natural celestial body in space. Humanity has never done that before.”
Here’s understanding the never before conducted mission
What is DART mission?
While there is no worrying asteroid headed for Earth, there could be one in future. NASA observes these asteroids and has developed a technology that could prevent an asteroid striking Earth. NASA will test a technology that intends to deflect the incoming asteroids.
The technology is already on its way to the asteroid, where it will intentionally crash to test a kinetic impactor method to slightly change the orbit of the asteroid.
The DART spacecraft, reportedly about the size of a school bus, has been traveling to reach its asteroid target since launching in November 2021. The spacecraft will arrive at the asteroid system on 26 September. Impact is expected at 4.30am on Tuesday, 27 September morning for India.
Where is DART mission headed?
The spacecraft is heading for a double-asteroid system, where a tiny “moon” asteroid, named Dimorphos, orbits a larger asteroid, Didymos. Didymos, which means “twin” in Greek, is roughly 2,560 feet (780 meters) in diameter. Meanwhile, Dimorphos measures 525 feet (160 meters) across, and its name means “two forms.”
At the time of impact, Didymos and Dimorphos will be relatively close to Earth – within 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers).
Neither Dimorphos nor Didymos is at risk of colliding with Earth – before or after the collision takes place.
What are asteroids and planetary flyby?
Remnants of the origin of the solar system often break off and go past our planet. These are called Near Earth Objects (NEO). If these objects come close to the Earth but does not touch ground, it is termed as planetary flyby.
Purpose of DART:
The DART mission by NASA will crash into the moon head-on. Oh well, as dramatic as it sounds, it is to be noted that the DART mission is a 100 times smaller than Dimorphos. Therefore all it will do is try to change the asteroid’s speed and path in space.
Once DART mission sets sight of the Dimorphos, it will accelerate to 13,421 miles per hour (21,600 kilometers per hour) and crash into the moon nearly head-on. According to the mission team, the crash will be likes a golf cart crashing into one of the Great Pyramids.
Where to watch DART mission collide with asteroid?
The DART mission will share the view of the double-asteroid system through an instrument known as the Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation (DRACO).
The instrument is a high-resolution camera that aims to capture images of the two asteroids to be streamed back to Earth at a rate of one image per second in what will appear nearly like a video. You can watch the live stream on NASA’s website, beginning 3:30 am, Tuesday, for India.
Who will watch the impact?
The LICIACube won’t be the only observer watching. The James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Lucy mission will observe the impact. The Didymos system may brighten as its dust and debris is ejected into space, said Statler, the NASA program scientist.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the world waits with bated breath as the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is set to clash with an asteroid on Monday, 26 September. “We are moving an asteroid,” CNN quoted Tom Statler, NASA program scientist for the DART mission. “We are changing the motion of a natural celestial body in space. Humanity has never done that before.”
Here’s understanding the never before conducted mission
What is DART mission?
While there is no worrying asteroid headed for Earth, there could be one in future. NASA observes these asteroids and has developed a technology that could prevent an asteroid striking Earth. NASA will test a technology that intends to deflect the incoming asteroids.
The technology is already on its way to the asteroid, where it will intentionally crash to test a kinetic impactor method to slightly change the orbit of the asteroid.
The DART spacecraft, reportedly about the size of a school bus, has been traveling to reach its asteroid target since launching in November 2021. The spacecraft will arrive at the asteroid system on 26 September. Impact is expected at 4.30am on Tuesday, 27 September morning for India.
Where is DART mission headed?
The spacecraft is heading for a double-asteroid system, where a tiny “moon” asteroid, named Dimorphos, orbits a larger asteroid, Didymos. Didymos, which means “twin” in Greek, is roughly 2,560 feet (780 meters) in diameter. Meanwhile, Dimorphos measures 525 feet (160 meters) across, and its name means “two forms.”
At the time of impact, Didymos and Dimorphos will be relatively close to Earth – within 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers).
Neither Dimorphos nor Didymos is at risk of colliding with Earth – before or after the collision takes place.
What are asteroids and planetary flyby?
Remnants of the origin of the solar system often break off and go past our planet. These are called Near Earth Objects (NEO). If these objects come close to the Earth but does not touch ground, it is termed as planetary flyby.
Purpose of DART:
The DART mission by NASA will crash into the moon head-on. Oh well, as dramatic as it sounds, it is to be noted that the DART mission is a 100 times smaller than Dimorphos. Therefore all it will do is try to change the asteroid’s speed and path in space.
Once DART mission sets sight of the Dimorphos, it will accelerate to 13,421 miles per hour (21,600 kilometers per hour) and crash into the moon nearly head-on. According to the mission team, the crash will be likes a golf cart crashing into one of the Great Pyramids.
Where to watch DART mission collide with asteroid?
The DART mission will share the view of the double-asteroid system through an instrument known as the Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation (DRACO).
The instrument is a high-resolution camera that aims to capture images of the two asteroids to be streamed back to Earth at a rate of one image per second in what will appear nearly like a video. You can watch the live stream on NASA’s website, beginning 3:30 am, Tuesday, for India.
Who will watch the impact?
The LICIACube won’t be the only observer watching. The James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Lucy mission will observe the impact. The Didymos system may brighten as its dust and debris is ejected into space, said Statler, the NASA program scientist.
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