NASA has invited the world’s media to watch the results of its first attempt at asteroid deflection. The space agency’s test began last November with the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft.
DART is the culmination of a joint effort by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The spacecraft will crash land on the small asteroid Dimorphos and attempt to change its trajectory enough that can be measured on Earth. Dimorphos is not on a potential collision course with Earth.
Although the likelihood of an asteroid collision is infinitesimal in the near future, it is all but guaranteed that one large enough to cause a mass extinction event — or worse — will occur eventually.
Unless it can be deflected.
In a press release, NASA explains how the 10-month mission will end:
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the world’s first mission to test technology for defending Earth against potential asteroid or comet hazards, will impact its target asteroid—which poses no threat to Earth—at 7:14 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 26.
Among other activities, NASA will host a televised briefing beginning at 6 p.m. on Sept. 26 from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. APL is the builder and manager of the DART spacecraft for NASA.
This test will show a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a target asteroid and intentionally collide with it to change the asteroid’s motion in a way that can be measured using ground-based telescopes. DART will provide important data to help better prepare for an asteroid that might pose an impact hazard to Earth, should one ever be discovered.
The following is a list of activities for DART’s impact with the asteroid Dimorphos (all times Eastern):
Monday, Sept. 129 a.m. – NASA will host a hybrid media day at APL focused on the technology enabling the DART spacecraft to autonomously navigate to and impact its target asteroid. Participants include leaders from NASA and the DART mission team. In-person attendees will have an opportunity to tour the DART mission operations center at APL, located at 11100 Johns Hopkins Road in Laurel, Maryland.
Media interested in participating must RSVP by completing this form no later than 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30. NASA’s media accreditation policy for on-site and virtual activities is available online.
Thursday, Sept. 22
3 p.m. – Media briefing at NASA Headquarters to preview DART’s final activities before its impact with Dimorphos. The media briefing will take place in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E. Street, SW in Washington and include senior leaders from NASA and APL.
Media interested in participating must RSVP by completing this form no later than 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15.
Monday, Sept. 26 (DART Impact Day)
Media interested in covering the DART impact from APL must complete this form by 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2.
6 p.m. – Live coverage of DART’s impact with the asteroid Dimorphos will air on NASA TV and the agency’s website. The public also can watch live on agency social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
7:14 p.m. – DART’s kinetic impact with asteroid Dimorphos.
Interview Opportunities
Remote live and taped interviews via Zoom will be offered from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26. To book a live shot window, media should fill out this form by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22.
A series of panels featuring NASA and APL mission experts will take place at APL on Monday, Sept. 26. Opportunities for interviews before and after DART’s asteroid impact will be available by filling out this form.
NASA Social
Stay connected with the DART mission and share your experience watching DART’s impact with an asteroid on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with #DARTMission and #PlanetaryDefender. Follow and tag these accounts:
Twitter: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @AsteroidWatch, @JHUAPL
Facebook: NASA, NASA Solar System Exploration, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
Instagram: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @JohnsHopkinsAPL
Become a Planetary Defender
Support the DART mission by becoming a “Planetary Defender!” Participants who take a short quiz will earn a certificate and badge they can download, print, and share on social media.
For more information about the DART mission, visit:
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Why cant Space Force do this??
Space Force has no vehicles of their own and SpaceX was contracted to do this long before Space Force existed.
Why is NASA worried about an asteroid hitting Earth? According to the climate change worry mongers the Earth is going to be ending soon anyway.
Hopefully Space Force can take over plan right
WOW! Just the sort of thing one might expect the Chinese commies or Putin to do: spend a whole lot of money to advance technology that could one day save the human species from extinction. We should be proud that AMERICANS are the ones to do this!