It has been nearly 5 years since NASA started a mission to test whether crashing a satellite into an asteroid will change its course. The mission started in 2017 and NASA enlisted the help of SpaceX back in 2019. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) launches on November 23rd, after the static fire test successfully completed last week.
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After launch, it will travel almost a year when NASA will “intentionally crash the DART spacecraft into an asteroid to see if that is an effective way to change its course, should an Earth-threatening asteroid be discovered in the future,” SpaceX said.
It is expected to collide with an asteroid moonlet, Dimorphos. Dimorphos orbits an asteroid called Didymos, which is close enough for scientists to see any effects using ground-based telescopes. A follow-up mission called Hera (by the European Space Agency) should visit the same system in 2026.
Before and during the mission, NASA has several activities for the public to take part. Members of the public can register to virtually attend the launch to access resources, watch videos and receive a virtual guest launch passport stamp.
The agency will have a virtual NASA Social on Facebook, where you can interact with NASA and DART team members and watch the launch. You can also take part in a brief Planetary Defenders campaign, where you can answer questions to earn a “planetary defender” certificate.
NASA has already identified 23 objects that could potentially collide with Earth over the next 100 years, with many more expected to be discovered in the coming years.
