tech
NASA crashed a spacecraft into a space rock, accelerating two asteroids’ orbit around the sun
In 2022, a NASA spacecraft intentionally barreled into the tiny asteroid Dimorphos during a planetary defense test. The objective was to assess whether humanity could protect Earth from cosmic threats, such as space rocks. New observations now reveal that the planetary defense test was a success, altering the orbit of Dimorphos as well as that of a larger asteroid called Didymos.
TL;DR
- NASA's DART mission intentionally crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos.
- The impact successfully altered the orbit of Dimorphos and the larger asteroid Didymos.
- The time required for the asteroid pair to orbit the sun decreased by less than a second due to debris ejection.
- This event marks the first time a human-crafted object has altered the path of a celestial body.
- The success of the test validates kinetic impact as a method for planetary defense against asteroid threats.
- Measuring the small orbital change required precise ground-based observations, including stellar occultations by volunteer astronomers.