Planetary Defense Mission Prepares For Asteroid Encounter

In the event that a massive asteroid is detected on a collision path with Earth, we currently possess a proven technology that, if advanced further, could potentially avert the catastrophic consequences of such an impact.

This method was initially tested by NASA two years ago during an attempt to redirect a harmless asteroid by colliding a spacecraft with it. The mission, known as the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), was successful in changing the trajectory of the Dimorphos asteroid, which is about 525 feet (approximately 160 meters) wide and orbits the larger Didymos asteroid.

Researchers are eager to understand in greater detail how the impact influenced Dimorphos. To this end, the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to send a spacecraft to meet up with the asteroid during the upcoming Hera mission.

Scheduled for launch next month, ESA has released a video that explains how the mission will unfold and its objectives.

The Hera mission’s goals include the following:

• Gain insights into the exact mass and composition of Dimorphos
• More accurately assess the impact’s effects on the asteroid
• Determine whether an impact crater was formed or if Dimorphos fractured and is held together by its own weak gravitational pull
• If there is a crater, measure its size

The spacecraft will carry out observations from a safe distance away from the asteroid and its debris clouds, while also deploying smaller spacecraft for closer examination before landing on Dimorphos. This close flyby presents risks but offers the potential for valuable data collection.

ESA has expressed its desire to transform DART’s large-scale experiment into a well-understood and potentially repeatable strategy for planetary defense, aiming to safeguard Earth against potential asteroid threats.

“By the end of Hera’s observations, Dimorphos will be the most thoroughly studied asteroid in history,” according to ESA. “This is crucial because should an object of this size collide with Earth, it could obliterate an entire city. The dinosaurs lacked any means of defending against asteroids, as they had no space agency. However, through Hera, we are learning how to lessen this risk and make our celestial neighborhood safer.”