In 2021, humanity launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), a groundbreaking mission aimed at testing our ability to deflect asteroids threatening Earth. Traveling aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, DART successfully reached its target, the binary asteroid system 65803 Didymos, in September 2022.
DART, functioning as a kinetic impactor, collided with the smaller asteroid, Dimorphos, at high speeds, demonstrating the potential effectiveness of asteroid redirection techniques. Subsequent observations by the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble revealed significant changes to Dimorphos’s orbit and shape.
The impact transformed Dimorphos from an oblate spheroid to a triaxial ellipsoid, altering both its appearance and orbital characteristics. This success paves the way for future asteroid deflection missions, including the European Space Agency’s Hera mission, scheduled for launch in 2024.
Hera aims to further study the effects of DART’s impact on Dimorphos, providing valuable insights into our ability to defend against asteroid threats. Together, these missions represent a significant milestone in planetary defense capabilities and our ongoing efforts to safeguard Earth from cosmic hazards.
