{"id":373727,"date":"2021-11-28T13:00:22","date_gmt":"2021-11-28T10:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-to-save-earth-next-year\/"},"modified":"2021-11-28T13:00:22","modified_gmt":"2021-11-28T10:00:22","slug":"how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-to-save-earth-next-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-to-save-earth-next-year\/","title":{"rendered":"#How NASA&#8217;s spacecraft will smash into an asteroid to save Earth next year"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af49a841da4f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af49a841da4f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-to-save-earth-next-year\/#Are_we_facing_an_extinction_threat_from_asteroids\" >Are we facing an extinction threat from asteroids?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-to-save-earth-next-year\/#Assessing_the_risk\" >Assessing the risk<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-to-save-earth-next-year\/#Brace_for_impact\" >Brace for impact<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-to-save-earth-next-year\/#Is_the_effort_really_worth_it\" >Is the effort really worth it?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#How NASA&#8217;s spacecraft will smash into an asteroid to save Earth next year<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>A NASA spacecraft the size of a golf cart has been directed to smash into an asteroid, with the intention of knocking it slightly off course. The test aims to demonstrate our technological readiness in case an actual asteroid threat is detected in the future.<\/p>\n<p>The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) lifted off aboard a SpaceX rocket from California on November 23, and will arrive at the target asteroid system in September, next year.<\/p>\n<p>The mission will <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> to the asteroid Didymos, a member of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cneos.jpl.nasa.gov\/about\/neo_groups.html\">Amor group of asteroids<\/a>. Every 12 hours Didymos is orbited by a mini-moon, or \u201cmoonlet\u201d, Dimorphos. This smaller half of the pair will be DART\u2019s target.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_we_facing_an_extinction_threat_from_asteroids\"><\/span>Are we facing an extinction threat from asteroids?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ve all seen disaster <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> in which an asteroid hits Earth, creating an extinction event similar to the one that killed off the dinosaurs millions of years ago. Could that h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>en now?<\/p>\n<p>Well, Earth is actually bombarded frequently by small asteroids, ranging from 1-20 metres in diameter. Almost all asteroids of this size disintegrate in the atmosphere and are usually harmless.<\/p>\n<p>There is an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Impact_event\">inverse relationship<\/a> between the size of these object and the frequency of impact events. This means we get hit much more frequently by small objects than larger ones \u2013 simply because there are many more smaller objects in space.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"Small asteroid impacts showing day-time impacts (in yellow) and night-time impacts (in blue). The size of each dot is proportional to the optical radiated energy of the impact. Image via NASA JPL\" width=\"600\" height=\"420\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=528&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=528&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=528&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"Small asteroid impacts showing day-time impacts (in yellow) and night-time impacts (in blue). The size of each dot is proportional to the optical radiated energy of the impact. Image via NASA JPL\" width=\"600\" height=\"420\" class=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=420&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=528&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=528&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434047\/original\/file-20211125-21-1lg3gh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=528&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fspace%2F2021%2F11%2F28%2Fhow-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-and-save-earth-from-harm-next-year-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Small asteroid impacts showing day-time impacts (in yellow) and night-time impacts (in blue). The size of each dot is proportional to the optical radiated energy of the impact. Image via NASA JPL\" data-title=\"Share Small asteroid impacts showing day-time impacts (in yellow) and night-time impacts (in blue). The size of each dot is proportional to the optical radiated energy of the impact. Image via NASA JPL on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Small asteroid impacts showing day-time impacts (in yellow) and night-time impacts (in blue). The size of each dot is proportional to the optical radiated energy of the impact. Image via NASA JPL on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Small asteroid impacts showing day-time impacts (in yellow) and night-time impacts (in blue). The size of each dot is proportional to the optical radiated energy of the impact. Image via NASA JPL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Asteroids with a 1km diameter strike Earth every 500,000 years, on average. The most \u201crecent\u201d impact of this size is thought to have formed the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tenoumer_crater\">Tenoumer impact crater in Mauritania<\/a>, 20,000 years ago. Asteroids with an approximate 5km diameter impact Earth about once every 20 million years.<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/meteor-asteroid-chelyabinsk-russia-feb-15-2013\/\">2013 Chelyabinsk meteoroid<\/a>, which damaged buildings in six Russian cities and injured around 1,500 people, was estimated to be about 20m in diameter.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Assessing_the_risk\"><\/span>Assessing the risk<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>NASA\u2019s DART mission has been sparked by the threat and fear of a major asteroid hitting Earth in the future.<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Torino_scale\">Torino scale<\/a> is a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated with a near-Earth object (NEO). It uses a scale from 0 to 10, wherein 0 means there is negligibly small chance of collision, and 10 means imminent collision, with the impacting object being large enough to precipitate a global disaster.<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/notable-asteroid-impacts-in-earths-history\">Chicxulub impact<\/a> (which is attributed to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs) was a Torino scale 10. The impacts that created the Barringer Crater, and the 1908 Tunguska event, both correspond to Torino Scale 8.<\/p>\n<p>With the increase of online <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> and individuals\u2019 ability to film events, asteroid \u201cnear-misses\u201d tend to generate fear in the public. Currently, NASA is keeping a close eye on asteroid Bennu, which is the object with the largest \u201ccumulative hazard rating\u201d right now. (You can keep <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cneos.jpl.nasa.gov\/sentry\/\">up to date too<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>With a 500m diameter, Bennu is capable of creating a 5km crater on Earth. However, NASA has also said there is a 99.943% chance the asteroid will miss us.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Brace_for_impact\"><\/span>Brace for impact<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>At one point in their orbit around the Sun, Didymos and Dimorphos come within about 5.9 million km of Earth. This is still further away than our Moon, but it\u2019s very close in astronomical terms, so this is when DART will hit Dimorphos.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dart.jhuapl.edu\/Mission\/Impactor-Spacecraft.php\">DART<\/a> will spend about ten months travelling towards Didymos and, when it\u2019s close by, will change direction slightly to crash into Dimorphos at a speed of about 6.6km per second.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"This animation shows DART\u2019s trajectory around the Sun. Pink = DART | Green = Didymos | Blue = Earth | Turquoise = 2001 CB21 | Gold = 3361 Orpheus.\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fspace%2F2021%2F11%2F28%2Fhow-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-and-save-earth-from-harm-next-year-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: This animation shows DART\u2019s trajectory around the Sun. Pink = DART | Green = Didymos | Blue = Earth | Turquoise = 2001 CB21 | Gold = 3361 Orpheus.\" data-title=\"Share This animation shows DART\u2019s trajectory around the Sun. Pink = DART | Green = Didymos | Blue = Earth | Turquoise = 2001 CB21 | Gold = 3361 Orpheus. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share This animation shows DART\u2019s trajectory around the Sun. Pink = DART | Green = Didymos | Blue = Earth | Turquoise = 2001 CB21 | Gold = 3361 Orpheus. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>This animation shows DART\u2019s trajectory around the Sun. Pink = DART | Green = Didymos | Blue = Earth | Turquoise = 2001 CB21 | Gold = 3361 Orpheus.<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"This animation shows DART\u2019s trajectory around the Sun. Pink = DART | Green = Didymos | Blue = Earth | Turquoise = 2001 CB21 | Gold = 3361 Orpheus.\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=450&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434097\/original\/file-20211126-15-1ve7m9j.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=566&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The larger Didymos is 780m in diameter and thus makes a better target for DART to aim for. Once DART has detected the much smaller Dimorphos, just 160m in diameter, it can make a last-minute course correction to collide with the moonlet.<\/p>\n<p>The mass of Dimorphos is 4.8 million tonnes and the mass of DART at impact will be about 550kg. Travelling at 6.6km\/s, DART will be able to transfer a huge amount of momentum to Dimorphos, to the point where it\u2019s expected to actually change the moonlet\u2019s orbit around Didymos.<\/p>\n<p>This change, to the tune of about 1%, will be detected by ground telescopes within weeks or months. While this may not seem like a lot, 1% is actually a promising shift. If DART were to slam into a lone asteroid, its orbital period around the Sun would change by only about 0.000006%, which would take many years to measure.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"The DART mission dates and timeline events. Image via Johns Hopkins University\" width=\"600\" height=\"340\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"The DART mission dates and timeline events. Image via Johns Hopkins University\" width=\"600\" height=\"340\" class=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=340&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/433919\/original\/file-20211125-1794-vtv1ni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fspace%2F2021%2F11%2F28%2Fhow-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-and-save-earth-from-harm-next-year-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The DART mission dates and timeline events. Image via Johns Hopkins University\" data-title=\"Share The DART mission dates and timeline events. Image via Johns Hopkins University on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The DART mission dates and timeline events. Image via Johns Hopkins University on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The DART mission dates and timeline events. Image via Johns Hopkins University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>So we\u2019ll be able to detect the 1% change from Earth, and meanwhile the pair will continue along its orbit around the Sun. DART will also deploy a small satellite ten days before impact to capture everything.<\/p>\n<p>This is NASA\u2019s first mission dedicated to demonstrating a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/nasa-s-first-planetary-defense-technology-demonstration-to-collide-with-asteroid-in-2022\">planetary defense technique<\/a>. At a cost of US$330 million, it\u2019s relatively cheap in space mission terms. The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/webb\/about\/index.html\">James Webb Telescope<\/a> set to launch next month, costs close to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/articles\/cost-of-the-jwst\">US$10 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There will be little to no debris from DART\u2019s impact. We can think of it in terms of a comparable event on Earth; imagine a train parked on the tracks but with no brakes on. Another train comes along and collides with it.<\/p>\n<p>The trains won\u2019t break apart, or destroy one another, but will move off together. The stationary one will gain some speed, and the one impacting it will lose some speed. The trains combine to become a new system with different speeds than before.<\/p>\n<p>So we won\u2019t experience any impact, ripples or debris from the DART mission.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434099\/original\/file-20211126-21-1jrvgbd.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434099\/original\/file-20211126-21-1jrvgbd.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=426&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434099\/original\/file-20211126-21-1jrvgbd.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=426&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434099\/original\/file-20211126-21-1jrvgbd.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=426&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434099\/original\/file-20211126-21-1jrvgbd.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=535&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434099\/original\/file-20211126-21-1jrvgbd.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=535&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/434099\/original\/file-20211126-21-1jrvgbd.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=535&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Typical asteroid orbits remain between Mars and Jupiter, but some with elliptical orbits can pass close to Earth. Image via Pearson\" width=\"600\" height=\"426\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fspace%2F2021%2F11%2F28%2Fhow-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-and-save-earth-from-harm-next-year-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Typical asteroid orbits remain between Mars and Jupiter, but some with elliptical orbits can pass close to Earth. Image via Pearson\" data-title=\"Share Typical asteroid orbits remain between Mars and Jupiter, but some with elliptical orbits can pass close to Earth. Image via Pearson on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Typical asteroid orbits remain between Mars and Jupiter, but some with elliptical orbits can pass close to Earth. Image via Pearson on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Typical asteroid orbits remain between Mars and Jupiter, but some with elliptical orbits can pass close to Earth. Image via Pearson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_effort_really_worth_it\"><\/span>Is the effort really worth it?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Results from the mission will tell us just how much mass and speed is needed to hit an asteroid that may pose a threat in the future. We already track the vast majority of asteroids that come close to Earth, so we would have early warning of any such object.<\/p>\n<p>That said, we have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/surprise-asteroid-flyby\">missed objects in the past<\/a>. In October 2021, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2021_UA1\">Asteroid UA_1<\/a> passed about 3,047km from Earth\u2019s surface, over Antarctica. We missed it because it approached from the direction of the Sun. At just 1m in size it wouldn\u2019t have caused much damage, but we should have seen it coming.<\/p>\n<p>Building a deflection system for a potential major asteroid threat would be difficult. We would have to act quickly and hit the target with very good aim.<\/p>\n<p>One candidate for such a system could be the new <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> developed by the US spaceflight company <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spinlaunch.com\/\">SpinLaunch<\/a>, which has designed technology to launch satellites into orbit at rapid speeds. This device could also be used to fire masses at close-passing asteroids. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/172603\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/172603\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><em>This article by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/gail-iles-761554\">Gail Iles<\/a>, Senior Lecturer in Physics, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/rmit-university-1063\">RMIT University<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em><em>is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/could-we-really-deflect-an-asteroid-heading-for-earth-an-expert-explains-nasas-latest-dart-mission-172603\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/how-nasas-spacecraft-will-smash-into-an-asteroid-and-save-earth-from-harm-next-year-syndication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How NASA&#8217;s spacecraft will smash into an asteroid to save Earth next year&#8221; A NASA spacecraft the size of a golf cart has been directed to smash into an asteroid, with the intention of knocking it slightly off course. The test aims to demonstrate our technological readiness in case an actual asteroid threat is detected&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":373728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/nasa-asteroid-earth.jpg&signature=f96da0bbcb6351adbdf897558579b343","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-373727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=373727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/373728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=373727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=373727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=373727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}