HOW NASA DEFLECTED AN ASTEROID BY CRASHING A SPACECRAFT INTO IT
BBC Science Focus|October 2022
NASA'S DART spacecraft made impact with its asteroid target on 27 September. Dr Tim Gregory tells us about this first-of-its-kind mission
DR TIM GREGORY
HOW NASA DEFLECTED AN ASTEROID BY CRASHING A SPACECRAFT INTO IT

WHAT IS THE DART MISSION?

It stands for the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. It's essentially a big science experiment to see if crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid is a good way to change its orbit around the Sun and potentially deflect an Earth-crossing asteroid away, should that happen in the future... or rather when that happens.

TELL US ABOUT THE SPACECRAFT.

DART is quite a hefty spacecraft. It weighs more than half a tonne, at 610 kilograms. One of my favourite things about this mission is that onboard is a CubeSat [LICIACube, or Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging Asteroids]. CubeSats are little, miniature satellites about the size of a champagne bottle. This particular CubeSat is Italian in origin and it's got a camera.

WHY WAS THE DIDYMOS BINARY ASTEROID SYSTEM SELECTED AS THE TARGET FOR THE MISSION?

The double asteroid is a cool little system. Much like the Earth has a celestial companion with the Moon, some asteroids have celestial companions, too. We call them binary asteroids. The target is made up of two individual objects: Didymos A, which is about 780 metres across, that's roughly seven football pitches; and its smaller companion Dimorphos, which is 160 metres across. The DART mission targeted the smaller of the two, Dimorphos.

It's important to stress that this particular asteroid system doesn't pose a threat to the Earth. It was merely chosen as a target based on its orbit around the Sun. It's got a very well-determined orbit and we will be able to track the new orbit to see if it's changed.

One of the really mind-blowing things about these asteroids is that we don't actually know a lot about them, other than their orbital parameters. We don't know what they look like. We don't know exactly what they're made of. And that's actually true, for basically every single asteroid in the Solar System.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من BBC Science Focus.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2022 من BBC Science Focus.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BBC SCIENCE FOCUS مشاهدة الكل
THE HUNGER GAME
BBC Science Focus

THE HUNGER GAME

Obesity is on the rise, but as we blame our unhealthy food-ridden environment and look to wonder drugs to get rid of unwanted fat, what role do our genetics play?

time-read
9 mins  |
June 2024
HOW THE UNIVERSE WILL END
BBC Science Focus

HOW THE UNIVERSE WILL END

A colossal supercollider now in the early stages of development may one day help us predict the ultimate fate of the Universe. With it, scientists will be trying to find a hidden instability built into the fabric of existence... an instability that could destroy everything

time-read
9 mins  |
June 2024
DARK ENERGY MIGHT BE ABOUT TO THROW A SPANNER IN THE WORKS
BBC Science Focus

DARK ENERGY MIGHT BE ABOUT TO THROW A SPANNER IN THE WORKS

The most mysterious phenomenon in the Universe could be about to spring another surprise on us

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2024
TAKE-OFF AT LAST
BBC Science Focus

TAKE-OFF AT LAST

AFTER A LONG WAIT, THE WORLD'S FIRST ZERO EMISSIONS AEROPLANES ARE FINALLY TAXIING TO REALITY. BUT ARE THEY THE SOLUTION WE NEED?

time-read
7 mins  |
June 2024
INSIDE THE 3D, NANOSCALE ATLAS THAT REVEALS A FRACTION OF THE HUMAN BRAIN
BBC Science Focus

INSIDE THE 3D, NANOSCALE ATLAS THAT REVEALS A FRACTION OF THE HUMAN BRAIN

The map is now the highest-resolution picture of the human brain ever created

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
HOW THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN NUCLEAR FORENSICS MAY HELP CLEAN UP CHERNOBYL
BBC Science Focus

HOW THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN NUCLEAR FORENSICS MAY HELP CLEAN UP CHERNOBYL

Contrary to popular belief, radioactive material doesn't glow. But a team of nuclear forensics experts are working on a device to make it do just that. BBC Science Focus's Noa Leach meets the scientists behind the innovative device

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2024
MAJOR STUDY SHOWS HOW ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS CHANGE YOUR LIFESPAN, IF YOU'RE NOT EATING YOUR VEG
BBC Science Focus

MAJOR STUDY SHOWS HOW ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS CHANGE YOUR LIFESPAN, IF YOU'RE NOT EATING YOUR VEG

While ultra-processed food is bad for your health, a decades-long study suggests it may not be as harmful as previously thought

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
ORIGIN OF EARTH'S 'SECOND MOON' DISCOVERED
BBC Science Focus

ORIGIN OF EARTH'S 'SECOND MOON' DISCOVERED

Asteroid sampling mission will confirm whether moon-like Kamo'oalewa came from our Moon

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2024
INTERMITTENT FASTING AND CORRECTLY TIMED WORKOUTS ARE KEY TO FAT LOSS, SAYS STUDY
BBC Science Focus

INTERMITTENT FASTING AND CORRECTLY TIMED WORKOUTS ARE KEY TO FAT LOSS, SAYS STUDY

A new approach to dieting and exercise could help you lose weight and enhance your health

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
MASSIVE EXPLOSION SPOTTED ON MYSTERIOUS DEAD STAR
BBC Science Focus

MASSIVE EXPLOSION SPOTTED ON MYSTERIOUS DEAD STAR

A satellite in the right place at the right time captured an important cosmic sight

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024