NASA to test our planet’s defence against asteroids!
Recommended for Secondary Grades
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) intends to drive a spacecraft into an asteroid in September this year. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is the name of the spacecraft that will hit the rock on September 26.
This mission is important because it is the first time that technology has been used to test how kinetic impact can be used to change the path of an asteroid.
“Kinetic impact” is the name of a method that DART is working on. In the future, this method could be used if a dangerous asteroid heads toward Earth.
What is National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)?
NASA is a united states government agency that works on science and technology for air and space.
Key facts about NASA’s DART Mission!
- The target asteroid is “dimorphous,” which means it is part of a two-body system.
- The smaller asteroid Didymos goes around this bigger asteroid.
- On September 26, at a speed of more than 23,000 km/h, the DART spacecraft will crash into the asteroid Dimorphous.
- The spacecraft will purposely crash into a target asteroid that doesn’t pose a threat to Earth in order to change its speed and course.
- Taking into account that the impact will cause shock waves and craters, it is likely that the target asteroid will be much more damaged than was first thought.
- The European Space Agency (ESA) will send a spacecraft to find out what happened after the crash.
- Also, two CubeSats will be sent to learn more about the area where the spaceship crashed.
- These CubeSats will take a closer look at things.
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Our #DARTMission will soon collide with a non-hazardous asteroid as a test of planetary defense.
— NASA (@NASA) August 14, 2022
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