Impact space probe to collide with asteroid Dimorph to test Earth defense technology The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft, which was launched last November, will complete its mission on September 27 by colliding with asteroid Dimorph.

This was reported on the official website of NASA.

“DART, which is the world’s first mission to test technology to protect Earth from the danger [of contact] with a potential asteroid or comet, will collide with a selected asteroid that does not pose a threat to Earth at 7:14 p.m. EST on Monday, September 26 (that is, September 27 at 02:14 Kyiv time, – TSN.ua),” the message reads.

The task of the DART mission is to test the possibility of changing the trajectory of an asteroid that threatens to collide with the Earth by means of a kinetic impact.

Asteroid Dimorphos (Dimorphos) has a diameter of 160 meters. It is part of the Didymos asteroid system and does not pose any danger on Earth.

The collision of the probe will take place at a distance of 11 million kilometers from the Earth. The 633 kg probe would have to hit at a speed of 6.6 km per second to affect the motion of the asteroid.

The collision will be observed by the Italian LICIACube cubesat, which will separate from the probe five days before.

During the mission, experts will conduct a variety of tests using the DRACO telescope, as well as test a number of demonstration technologies. In particular, the search and homing system of the SMART Nav device developed for NASA will be tested, it will start one hour before approaching the asteroid.

It will be recalled that on August 20, an asteroid larger than the Egyptian pyramids in Giza flew by the Earth for the first time in more than 100 years.