No Apocalypse: NASA Will Shoot Rocket At Asteroid To Test Earth's Defences
NASA is going to ram a spacecraft into an asteroid 10 million kilometres away from Earth to see if the technique will work on potential collision events
NASA is testing Earth's defences against foreign rocks and perhaps aliens that may threaten life on the planet in the near future.
Officially known as the "Double Asteroid Redirection Test" (DART), the mission will essentially test NASA's ability to change the direction of an asteroid in case one were to charge at Earth.
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What is NASA planning to do?
The test will employ "kinetic impactor technique" wherein high-speed aircraft are sent into space directly in the path of an asteroid to alter its direction.
For this series of tests, NASA is targeting Dimorphos, a 160-metre long moon of an even bigger asteroid known as Didymos, which measures 780 metres.
In a press release, NASA announced that it wants to change the "orbital speed" of the asteroid by shooting a spacecraft into it. The mission is slated to begin on November 24 with launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
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Also read: Five Mass Extinction Events In Earth's History That Wiped Off Most Life
The experiment is going to take place about 10.9 million kilometres (6.8 million miles) away from Earth. If things were to go awry, no impact would be felt on Earth.
The aircraft will charge at the asteroid at speed of 24,000 kilometres per hour (15 mph). While this may only alter the speed of the mini asteroid by a miniscule percentage, it will still manage to change the orbit period of the space rock considerably.
?? #PlanetaryDefense at @NASA entails finding, tracking, and characterizing near-Earth #asteroids and objects. Here¡¯s what we've found thus far. Our #DARTMission, launching this November, will also be our first test for planetary defense.
¡ª NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) October 1, 2021
Learn more at https://t.co/1wL4ifObpp pic.twitter.com/8JryeeWQjG
What will scientists learn?
The study of such techniques and potential threat to Earth from asteroids could help scientists understand how much of what is needed to change the course of an object hurling towards Earth.
Also read: Is Humanity Doomed? Science Says We Are In Middle Of A 'Mass Extinction Event'
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Asteroid impacts are always lethal, but a lot depends on its size. The impact from most asteroids will likely trigger extinction events on Earth, like the one witnessed 66 million years ago when an asteroid with 10 kilometres of diameter hit Earth. Even more than its size, its speed can decide the intensity of impact Earth could feel.
What do you think about NASA's new pet project to protect Earth? Let us know in the comments below. For the latest and quirkiest coming in from the world of science and technology, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
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