Normally, NASA likes its probes to come into contact with other objects in space in a very controlled way. You want to ground a rover on Mars, no sudden fall a rover on Mars, for example. Dual Asteroid Redirection (DART) Test is different. This time, NASA will step on the ion pedal and push the damn with their spaceship, because fuck you, asteroid. They will also learn a lot about the possible deviations of dangerous asteroids from becoming meteors that hit Earth. But mostly because they don’t like the way that asteroid looks at them.
You know the DART project is interesting because it’s in Planetary defense the NASA site section, which sounds like part of a movie involving lasers and at least one astronaut crashing into space.
The DART spacecraft is a box with an ionic motor kinetic impactor with interesting scrolling solar panels and looks like this:
G / O Media may receive a commission
The ion engine is particularly interesting because it is a first application of a propulsion system that can be used on future spacecraft:
“The DART spacecraft will demonstrate NASA Evolutionary Xenon Propeller – Commercial (NEXT-C)solar electric propulsion system as part of its propulsion in space. NEXT-C is a next-generation system based on the Dawn spacecraft’s propulsion system and was developed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. By using electric propulsion, DART could benefit from significant flexibility in the mission schedule, while demonstrating the next generation of ion engine technology, with applications for future NASA missions. ”
The target asteroid is an interesting choice, because it really is Two asteroids. The asteroid is called Didymos and is a binary asteroid because it has its own small “lunar” asteroid, a smaller asteroid that orbits Didymos. This month is the target of DART.
Using the solar-powered ion engine and advanced autonomous targeting software, DART will push into the moon, which will change the speed of the moon’s orbit around Didymos, a change that can be studied by Earth telescopes.
Studying the change in the orbital path can help us figure out how to most effectively hit a potential asteroid with an impact on Earth far enough to lose our planet, where not only do we keep our things, but it’s also the location. Shake Shack known to mankind.
Also, like any good, modern fight, there will be a witness who will download everything on video, in this case a small Cubesat that will be released before impact and may or may not load the movie Worldstar.
At Vice, there is a good interview with astronomer Andy Rivkin, who gives an excellent explanation of the DART mission and what he hopes to accomplish:
So, yes, take this, asteroid. That little punk month has until November 24 to February 15, 2022 to make shit, because it’s current launch window for DART.