DART spacecraft collided with an asteroid to change its direction

There are many doomsday scenarios, andone of them is the fall of a huge asteroid to Earth. Scientists already know that the most dangerous of these is the 492-meter Bennu asteroid, which could destroy part of the planet between 2169 and 2199. To prevent this, experts are developing a way to protect the Earth from a collision with asteroids. The most efficient way to do this is to send a heavy spacecraft to the asteroid, make a collision and knock the asteroid off course. Just a few hours ago, the NASA aerospace agency almost proved that this is one of the most working ways. The agency launched a DART vehicle towards the asteroid Dimorph and successfully staged a collision. Whether the impact helped knock the space object off its original course is currently unknown - the asteroid needs some time to be observed. But we have photographs that were taken before the collision. They will definitely go down in the history of astronomy.

Asteroid Didymus (above) and its moon Dimorph approximately 2.5 minutes before impact with DART

Collision of DART and Dimorph

The DART spacecraft was launched into space inNovember 2021 using the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The flight to the asteroid Dimorph took almost a whole year - on Monday, September 26, 2022, he reached the goal. The collision of the DART apparatus occurred at a distance of 10.9 million kilometers from Earth. A NASA spacecraft weighing 610 kilograms crashed into a 160-meter asteroid 17 meters from its center at a speed of 22,526 kilometers per hour. All this was broadcast live.

The surface of the asteroid Dimorphos two seconds before impact

See also: Is NASA preparing for Armageddon? For the first time, the trajectory of an asteroid will be changed

Is it possible to change the route of an asteroid

Asteroid Dimorph is a satellite even morelarge object, the asteroid Didim. He makes one flight around the main object in 11 hours 55 minutes. With the help of a collision with the DART apparatus, American specialists want to reduce the flyby time by 10 minutes. Ground-based telescopes cannot see these objects in the sky, but they are quite capable of detecting a change in the light emanating from them. Most likely, whether the DART mission was completed in full, we will know only in a few weeks.

The last picture from DART is not complete, because the device crashed

In addition to ground and space telescopes,historical event observed device LICIACube. This toaster-sized space "operator" was built into DART and separated from it weeks before the impact. Soon it will fly near the scene and take pictures of the scattered fragments of the asteroid. The well-known James Webb space telescope will not stand aside either - there is hope that he managed to capture a luminous cloud of dust.

Cubesat LICIACube (right)

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Exploring the asteroid Dimorph

More information about what happened toasteroid Dimorph, we will be able to find out in 2027. It was then that the European Space Agency (ESA) will deliver the Hera interplanetary station to the object. She will try to study the surface of the asteroid, and in this matter she will be able to help several small satellites (cubesats) that will try to land on the asteroid. Among the tasks of these small devices will be the study of the relief of the asteroid, as well as its chemical composition.

Asteroid Dimorph, Hera and cubesats

In general, the DART mission showed that humanityalready capable of accurately hitting asteroids. Now it remains to find out whether it is really possible to change the direction of movement of potentially dangerous asteroids in this way. Despite the fact that there is no exact data yet, DART mission engineer Elena Adams noted that from this day on, people can sleep more calmly - at least people can be saved from the falling asteroid.

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In addition to the United States, the technology of rescuing dangerousChina is developing asteroids - he wants to save the planet from the asteroid Bennu, which can cause terrible destruction. You can find out more about how 25 Long March 5 heavy missiles will be used in this material.