US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — Taking into account the potential threat that some asteroids represent for humanity, NASA plans to launch a demonstration mission to study the use of kinetic impact to deflect an asteroid, according to Science Alert.
On July 22, 2021, NASA plans to launch the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission to study the use of a kinetic strike on an asteroid, reports Science Alert.
This demonstration mission will head to the tiny binary asteroid system called Didymos (or 65803 Didymos) that poses no threat to Earth.
The mission will target a 160-meter asteroid
The larger of the two, named Didymos A, measures approximately 780 meters in diameter, while the smaller, Didymos B, measures only 160 meters. The DART will target Didymos B, the size of which is typical for asteroids that threaten the Earth .
The mission will reach its goal on September 22, when the binary asteroid is less than 11 million kilometers from Earth.
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