In a groundbreaking achievement, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) has successfully altered the course of an asteroid, Dimorphos, marking a significant advancement in planetary defense. DART's deliberate impact on Dimorphos, a small asteroid moonlet, demonstrates the viability of kinetic impact as a means to divert potentially hazardous celestial objects away from Earth. Although neither Dimorphos nor its host asteroid Didymos poses an immediate threat, this milestone underscores NASA's commitment to safeguarding our planet from space threats. The success of this mission opens doors for further planetary defense research and emphasizes humanity's ability to develop innovative solutions to protect our home planet.
The success of DART opens the door to further exploration and experimentation in planetary defense. Four years from now, the European Space Agency's Hera project will conduct detailed surveys of both Dimorphos and Didymos. This in-depth analysis will focus on the crater created by DART's impact and provide precise measurements of Dimorphos' mass, enhancing our understanding of these celestial bodies.
Source: Press release. Nasa. "NASA’s DART Mission Hits Asteroid in First-Ever Planetary Defense Test". https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-dart-mission-hits-asteroid-in-first-ever-planetary-defense-test. 27/09/22. [Date accessed: 28/09/22]
Edited by: Pulkit Pincha
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