NASA is developing the first-ever mission that will deflect a near-Earth asteroid, and help test the systems that will allow mankind to protect the planet from potential cosmic body impacts in the future.
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) - which is being designed and would be built and managed by the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory - is moving from concept development to preliminary design phase, the US space agency said.
“DART would be NASA’s first mission to demonstrate what’s known as the kinetic impactor technique - striking the asteroid to shift its orbit - to defend against a potential future asteroid impact,” said Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“This approval step advances the project towards a historic test with a nonthreatening small asteroid,” said Johnson.
“DART is a critical step in demonstrating we can protect our planet from a future asteroid impact,” said Andy Cheng, who serves as the DART investigation co-lead. Read more...
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) - which is being designed and would be built and managed by the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory - is moving from concept development to preliminary design phase, the US space agency said.
“DART would be NASA’s first mission to demonstrate what’s known as the kinetic impactor technique - striking the asteroid to shift its orbit - to defend against a potential future asteroid impact,” said Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“This approval step advances the project towards a historic test with a nonthreatening small asteroid,” said Johnson.
“DART is a critical step in demonstrating we can protect our planet from a future asteroid impact,” said Andy Cheng, who serves as the DART investigation co-lead. Read more...