Set to launch in late November, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) probe will be humanities first attempt to redirect an asteroid! The probe will ram into Dimorphos in September 2022, the smaller of the two rocks in this binary asteroid system, demonstrating our ability to change the orbital period of the asteroids. This binary asteroid system doesn’t pose a threat to Earth and the test data we gather will provide us valuable insight of our capabilities if an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth!
Follow the links below to learn more about DART and to learn more about NASA’s Planetary Defense.
DART Arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Its Final Stop Before Launch
Double Asteroid Redirection Test: NASA’S FIRST PLANETARY DEFENSE MISSION
Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission
Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
