This month, NASA will intentionally crash one among its spacecraft into an asteroid in a take a look at of planetary protection capabilities. The thought of the DART mission (Double Asteroid Redirection Take a look at) is to check out what choices we’d have if we ever noticed a harmful asteroid headed towards Earth, by seeing whether or not crashing into an asteroid could be efficient at diverting its course.
For the take a look at, the DART spacecraft has been touring towards a pair of asteroids since its launch in November final 12 months. Throughout that point the craft despatched again its first photos and the goal asteroid was imaged as properly. Now, the DART craft has deployed a small satellite tv for pc that can take images because the crash happens. The satellite tv for pc, known as LICIACube or Gentle Italian CubeSat for Imaging Asteroids, was popped free from a spring-loaded field on DART on September 11.
The deployment of LICIACube is an enormous second for a smaller house company too. The Italian House Company offered the satellite tv for pc in a partnership with NASA.
“We’re so excited for this — the primary time an Italian workforce is working its nationwide spacecraft in deep house!” stated Simone Pirrotta, LICIACube undertaking supervisor for the Italian House Company, in a press release. “The entire workforce is absolutely concerned within the actions, monitoring the satellite tv for pc standing and making ready the approaching part to the asteroid’s flyby. We count on to obtain the primary full-frame photos and to course of them a few days after DART’s affect. We’ll then use them to verify affect and so as to add related details about the generated plume — the actual treasured worth of our images.”
When DART impacts the asteroid, the concept is that LICIACube will have the ability to seize photos of the speedy aftermath utilizing two cameras it has on board: LUKE (LICIACube Unit Key Explorer) and LEIA (LICIACube Explorer Imaging for Asteroid).
“We’re excited to have LICIACube on its method — our intrepid little reporter that we hope will make a invaluable contribution to DART,” stated Andrew Cheng, a lead investigator of DART. “What it’ll witness and doc will present us distinctive and vital data that we in any other case wouldn’t get to see.”
To collect extra details about the effectiveness of the DART take a look at, the European House Company mission HERA will observe with a launch in November 2024 to additionally go to the asteroid system and see intimately the consequences of the affect.
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