DART mission’s 500kg spacecraft to crash into asteroid on this date; Watch it online for free here

NASA is ready to make an attempt to deflect an asteroid via Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on September 26. The process would involve crashing a 500kg spacecraft into an asteroid moonlet. The binary asteroid system consists of Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos. The asteroid mission is to change their trajectory. DART will re-route the asteroid by using kinetic impact. The spacecraft is designed to smash into the smaller member of the binary asteroid system. It’s a part of NASA’s larger planetary defence strategy to safeguard Earth in case of an asteroid that is actually posing threat to Earth. As per the report, DART will arrive at the asteroid on September 26 and will crash into Dimorphos at about 15,000 miles per hour. NASA says, “On Sept. 26, DART will intentionally crash into Dimorphos, the asteroid moonlet of Didymos. While the asteroid poses no threat to Earth, this is the world’s first test of the kinetic impact technique, using a spacecraft to deflect an asteroid for planetary defence.” Know where you can watch it online.

Where to watch NASA DART mission crashing into asteroid?

Space lovers can watch NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirect Mission (DART) crashing into an asteroid live on NASA TV on impact day i.e, Sept. 26. Live coverage of DART’s impact will begin from 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT). The agency will also telecast the event on its social media accounts- Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

What is Didymos?

According to Space.com, it’s a pair of asteroids together- Didymos and Dimorphos. The latter one orbits Didymos. It rotates around its larger twin every 11 hours and 55 minutes. Didymos is a large asteroid of 2,560 feet size while Dimorphos is 525 feet. Nasa has been tracking its movement for decades and hence it is ideal for the DART mission test.

What is Nasa’s DART spacecraft?

Launched in November 2021, Nasa’s DART mission is the first-ever space probe to demonstrate asteroid deflection by a kinetic impactor. It will strike the asteroid at a speed of nearly 24,000 kilometres per hour, with an aim to slow down the asteroid slightly and change its course in another direction.