NASA’s DART mission hits asteroid Dimorphos

The mission Double Asteroid Redirection Test (dartfor its acronym in English) of the POTthe first in the world to test a technology to defend the Land of possible dangers asteroids either kiteshit the asteroid Dimorphos as planned this Monday, September 26.

Although this asteroid did not pose any danger to the Landthe objective of this mission is that the dart ship divert the object’s trajectory to be prepared in case a comet poses a real threat in the future. The impact is only the first step in determining if it is possible to deflect potentially dangerous asteroids.

How did DART manage to hit the asteroid Dimorphos?

dart collided with Dimorphos at 6:14 p.m. Central Mexico time, exactly at the time estimated by the POT. The mission was successful and will try to see if it changed the amount of time it takes to orbit the large asteroid Didymos.

Humanity’s first test for planetary defense officially began on November 24, 2021, when the POT launched the rocket SpaceX Falcon 9, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Almost 10 months later, the ship crashed into the asteroid Dimorphos.

At the moment of impact, the double asteroid system, made up of Dimorphos Y Didymos, was approximately 11 million kilometers from Earth. The ship dart it accelerated to nearly 13,000 miles per hour before crashing into the satellite. Due to the size of the ship, it did not disintegrate the satellite, but what is sought is to alter its orbital period.

When will it be known if the mission was a success?

According to the organizers of dart, the mission data is already being analyzed and in a few days the first results could be obtained; however, definitive data on whether it changed the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos will be held approximately two monthsthat is, at the end of november of this year.

  • It should be noted that the planetary defense test will be considered successful if the impact managed to change the time that Dimorphos takes to orbit Didymos. If so, you can confirm the change in your trajectory.

This is how the DART Mission was experienced minute by minute

At approximately 5:06 p.m.one hour and eight minutes after the impact of dartthe asteroid Dimorphos it was detected by the ship’s technology and the small point of light was beginning to become more and more visible. At this point, the ship still failed to point directly at the 160 meter object.

With an hour to go before impact, the specialists applauded as Dimorphos became fully visible to the camera DRACO. Until then, the course of the mission was going smoothly and positive results were beginning to appear. This was the first time the asteroid was visible to human eyes.

  • Elena Adams of John Hopkins acknowledged that it is very similar to Didymos.

46 minutes after impact, the spacecraft POT managed to capture the target for later impact. This thanks to the images captured by the camera integrated in the rocket. With each passing minute, the stellar object only grew larger and larger in front of the camera. dart.

With 20 minutes on the countdown, the mission it precisely detected the impact area and accelerated its trajectory. At this point, Dimorphos was already clearly visible in the transmission. Two minutes after crashing, the ship was traveling at 22,000 kilometers per hour and came within a few tens of meters of the asteroid.

In the estimated time, the ship dart it hit the asteroid Dimorphos and the images of POT allowed to capture the exact moment of the crash.

How did they manage to convey the mission?

The images, disseminated through the portal of the POTwere captured by an instrument known as the Didymos Optical Reconnaissance and Navigation Camera, or DRACO. This device also managed to capture a picture of jupiter when it was en route to the double asteroid system.

Didymos Y Dimorphos they appeared as pinpoints of light about an hour before impact, gradually growing larger and more detailed in the frame. Dimorphos It had never been observed before, so scientists were finally able to capture its shape and what its surface looks like.

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NASA’s DART mission hits asteroid Dimorphos