There are only a few hours left for NASA to start the DART operation (‘dart’), an interstellar maneuver to try deflect the path of an asteroid and prevent it from making an impact on earth.
Tomorrow the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will take off from the Vandenberg Space Base in California, at 10:20 a.m. local time, although the operation will continue at least until October 2, 2022, when it is expected to arrive at the Didydimos system, formed by two asteroids: a large one, and a smaller one that orbits around it.
This experiment is fundamental, since it will allow to know the force necessary to modify the trajectory of a celestial object based on its size and speed.
The ship will make its collision at a speed of 24,000 kilometers per hour and NASA estimates that this impact can change its speed by one millimeter per second. Everything will be recorded by a probe called LICIACube.
If the mission is successful, it will allow you to check and analyze human capacity to deflect asteroids that are dangerous to Earth. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, there are more than 2,000 potentially dangerous objects for our planet in space. In addition, we only know a third of the bodies with a size similar to the one that is going to impact.
“DART is not the final answer, but rather the first important step if we need to defend the Earth from the impact of an asteroid “, says NASA, which explains that Dimorphos does not pose any danger to our planet.
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
