A Planetary Defense Test is conducted to hit an asteroid near the earth’s zone.
Several phenomena take place in outer space and the adjacent region of the earth. Space is full of wonders and amazing natural happenings that are so eye-catching. However, sometimes the massive abruptions around the earth pose a threat to the earth’s safety.
This is an issue that has been under the consideration of several scientists and researchers. A mission is designed and implemented by NASA to address the issue and tackle the challenges.
The DART spacecraft is another marvel in the race for progress in space. The world’s first planetary defense technology, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) has been successfully introduced.
It successfully hit its asteroid target on Monday after spending ten months in space. This was the first attempt of NASA to maneuver an asteroid in orbit.
The First-Ever Planetary Defense Test was ever designed with the particular goal of studying and proving a way of asteroid diverting that uses kinetic impact to change an asteroid’s velocity in space.
In simpler notes, this project is based on the concept to fight an asteroid approaching earth or posing a threat to earth’s safety.
The successful impact was confirmed by mission control at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.
The mission’s successful one-way journey proved that NASA can move a spacecraft to kinetically hit an asteroid to divert it.
DART is a calculation of the ability to safely hit an asteroid kinetically and monitor the asteroid’s reaction. Any asteroid going to hit the earth or probably entered the nearest zone of earth can be hit with DART Mission.
The investigation team of the project will use ground-based telescopes (telescopes on Earth) to assess how much the kinetic impact can change the velocity in space of the target asteroid Dimorphous.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson remarked,
“At its basis, DART represents an unprecedented success for planet protection services, but it is also a project of togetherness with a real benefit for all humanity. The global partnership transformed science fiction into scientific fact, demonstrating one way to protect Earth as NASA studies the cosmos and our home planet.”
NASA’s DART Mission success makes a substantial contribution to the essential toolkit to protect Earth against a devastating asteroid collision.
This demonstrates that the earth is no longer powerless against this kind of natural catastrophe.
This is a kind of natural calamity that humans were helpless about. There was probably no way to protect ourselves against the asteroid collision or stop the asteroid to hit the earth. However, the team of project has greatly surpassed expectations in every way.
This is one of the splendid technological breakthroughs with extraordinary preparation and precision. DART-based abilities could one day be used to change the course of an asteroid to protect the planet and preserve life on Earth.
Scientists hope that the method, which would be the first of its kind, will be capable of steering asteroid impacts away from our planet.
There is a completely logical and calculated assessment behind the massive project that makes it stand out in the scientific world.
According to statistical analysis,
“NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test focuses on the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, a tiny rock with a diameter of only 530 feet that makes 160 meters. It orbits around the larger Didymos, a 2,560-foot that makes 780-meter asteroid. There is no long-term threat to Earth from either asteroid. Scientists estimate that the hit will decrease Dimorphos’ orbit by around 1%, or approximately 10 minutes. Intending to slightly reduce the asteroid’s orbital speed, these technologies steered the box-shaped spacecraft.”
Furthermore,
“It weighs 1,260 pounds which makes 570 kilograms, through the terminal 56,000 miles that make 90,000 kilometers of space and into Dimorphous. The final telescope picture shot sometime before impact provided a comprehensive view of Dimorphos’ surface. An international team is using several telescopes placed all over the world and in space to observe the asteroid system because the pair of asteroids is only 7 million miles that makes 11 million kilometers from Earth.”
This is all about the scientific procedure of the DART spacecraft. The core competency of the mission is Planetary Security. It is a major movement that affects all Life forms.
With enough accuracy, the team can guide a spacecraft to hit even a small space object. The requirement to significantly change an asteroid’s path is to slightly change its speed.
Also, DART can identify and make a distinction between the two asteroids. This characteristic enables it to aim at the smaller or short-term body.
Instrument of NASA’s DART Mission
The spacecraft’s sole instrument is the Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical Navigation (DRACO). This is incorporated with advanced and powerful supervision, navigation, and regulatory system that functions with Small-body Maneuvering Autonomous Real-Time Navigation (SMART Nav) algorithms. This system enables this to happen.
The end note
The unprecedented test is aimed at avoiding potentially devastating collisions with Earth. This is one of the global solutions to a significant problem.
The Impact of the first planetary defense test mission in history has been verified. The objective of the research was to determine whether a spaceship could move an asteroid just far enough off course to keep Earth safe by using pure kinetic force to change its trajectory.
The objective has been achieved well with the test. This is a beautiful step forward towards further knowledgeable discoveries.
Its success can’t be determined until the completion of more ground-based telescope observations next month.
This is a challenging task, which is why scientists are beginning to create this technology now.
NASA flight directors have directed the DART spacecraft for most of its trip since its November 2018 launch from California.
Although the asteroid posed no danger to Earth, the test is the first attempt to change an asteroid’s path only through kinetic force. Scientists hope that the method will one day be used to push asteroids and avoid disastrous collisions.
If this works, scientists will understand to use the same technology to divert asteroids that might pose an actual threat in the future.
Sources
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/26/nasa-spacecraft-to-hit-asteroid-in-planetary-defence-test
