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Successful kinetic impact into an asteroid for planetary defence
R Terik Daly1, Carolyn M Ernst2, Olivier S Barnouin2
1Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA. terik.daly@jhuapl.edu.
Nature
|March 1, 2023
Summary
NASA
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Astrodynamics
- Space Mission Engineering
Background:
- Near-Earth asteroid catalog is incomplete for potentially devastating objects.
- Asteroid impact mitigation strategies include deflection and disruption.
- Kinetic impact technology is a high-priority space mission for asteroid mitigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on the kinetic impact of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.
- To reconstruct the DART impact event on asteroid Dimorphos.
- To assess the viability of kinetic impactor technology for planetary defense.
Main Methods:
- The DART spacecraft autonomously impacted the near-Earth asteroid Dimorphos, part of the (65803) Didymos binary system.
- Reconstruction of the impact event included timeline, impact site characteristics, and Dimorphos's size and shape.
- Ground-based telescopes quantified asteroid deflection resulting from the kinetic impact.
Main Results:
- The DART spacecraft successfully impacted Dimorphos.
- The impact resulted in a measurable change in Dimorphos's orbit around Didymos.
- The DART impact site on Dimorphos was characterized.
Conclusions:
- Kinetic impactor technology is a viable method for asteroid deflection.
- The DART mission demonstrated a key capability for potential Earth defense against asteroid threats.
- Further study of asteroid interactions and deflection is warranted.
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