#planetary defense

[old-type-40]

The DART team did it! This is the first successful test for planetary defense with the spacecraft hitting the asteroid at 14000 mph (22500 kph) using an automated guidance system.

[odinsblog]

While most folks were sitting down for supper, NASA tried to move a space mountain.

Beyond sight for backyard stargazers, a spacecraft the size of a vending machine self-destructed by ramming into a harmless asteroid shortly after 7 p.m. ET Monday, September 26th. The high-speed crash was part of the U.S. space agency's Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART.

The moment of impact marked the first time in history humans have attempted to alter the path of an asteroid, a flying chunk of rubble left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Most of the time, these ancient rocks pose no danger to Earth, including Dimorphos, the one NASA just used for target practice. But at least three have caused mass extinctions, the most infamous of which wiped out the dinosaurs.

Stegosaurus didn't have NASA.

"We are changing the motion of a natural celestial body in space. Humanity has never done that before," said Tom Statler, program scientist. "This was the substance of fiction books and really corny episodes of Star Trek from when I was a kid, and now it's real."

(continue reading)

[aspaceinthecosmos]

IMPACT!

(sped up)

the DART mission has collided with the asteroid Dimorphos!

Dimorphos, a small asteroid orbiting the larger Didymos, has been hit at 4 miles/second (6.4km/s) by nasa’s DART spacecraft, in order to test our planetary defense systems.

(an important note: neither of these two asteroids have any chance of collision with earth, this mission was simply to try and redirect an asteroid in case it’s ever needed)

next, scientists will train their telescopes on the asteroid system, hoping to notice differences in Dimorphos’ orbit, meaning we’ve successfully changed its orbit by a spacecraft!

[mckitterick]

say hello to the new UFO logo for the National Intelligence Manager for the Air Domain

see that little flying saucer west of Columbia?

a closer view of the logo as a patch

close-up of the UFO

they seriously posted this for about a day. also note the Turkish Bayraktar TB-2 drone over the Rockies, the Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle just reaching the Arctic, and the fighter jet over the Southeast USA that appears to be a Russian Sukhoi Su-57 Felon (the rearmost jet is a passenger liner)

NIM-A is the government intelligence agency that co-authored with the Pentagon last summer's report on "unidentified aerial phenomena" aka UFOs

they took down the new logo after the UFO community began going wild, but the fact they made it is just... wow

more in the PopMech story: X

[kreuzaderny]

National Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan for Near-Earth Object Hazards and Planetary Defense

[goyrownway]

[memenewsdotcom]

NASA 'planetary defense test'

NASA ‘planetary defense test’

[hug-your-face]

Wake up, new planetary asteroid defense just dropped

So NASA just successfully whacked an asteroid with a space probe in the first-ever test of a planetary defense system. 

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-dart-mission-hits-asteroid-in-first-ever-planetary-defense-test

It’s called the Dual Asteroid Redirection Test and that abbreviates to DART which I love. The idea is that if a rogue asteroid is headed in toward Earth to kill everyone like the dinosaurs, can we successfully slap it with a small but fast satellite enough to disturb its orbit and deflect it away? 

The big challenge is navigation; asteroids move fast and are small making for a challenging target.

I’d say

NASA did

just fine

You can watch the whole video of the final moments of the mission at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RA8Tfa6Sck.

Oh and for fun, you might want to Google “NASA DART” sometime soon... Google has added a bit of stealth code re-enact the impact of the DART satellite on your search results ;)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

NASA managed Monday to crash a small spacecraft directly into an asteroid, a 14,000-mile-per-hour collision designed to test whether such a technology could someday be deployed to protect Earth from a potentially catastrophic impact.

The violent end of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft thrilled scientists and engineers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., which operated the mission under a NASA contract.

* * * * US Space Force: It’s actually more about leveraging synergies in the space domain to create an effect and set favorable conditions for the Warfighter while operating a system of systems, within a team of teams. 

 NASA: Let’s shoot a rocket at that sumbitch and see what happens

[richo1915]

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a NASA space mission aimed at testing a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects (NEOs). Launched from Earth in November 2021, the mission will deliberately crash a space probe into the minor-planet moon Dimorphos of the double asteroid Didymos to assess the future potential of a spacecraft impact to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth through a transference of momentum. The asteroid poses no actual threat to Earth; it was merely selected for the test. Impact- Tuesday 27/9 09:14 AEST

[dangerden2610]

Cosmo my spacecat trying to help.

[man-and-atom]

Congratulations to the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, and to NASA’s Planetary Defense organization, on successfully smacking a spacecraft into a celestial object with the intent of changing its orbit.

In addition to the near-certainty that we will ultimately need to divert cosmic objects from colliding with the Earth, moving planetoids around is a matter of crucial importance in the economic development of the solar system. The results from this test are a first step towards learning the things we will need to know in order to do that effectively.

Now we wait for the detailed investigation.

[aspaceinthecosmos]

hey everyone: go watch nasas DART mission slam into an asteroid to try and redirect it!

they’re live right now, and are giving a bunch of background information on the mission

[panopticperceptions]

Avoiding Catastrophe: Understanding Asteroid Impacts and Planetary Defense

As we traverse the vast realm of space exploration, a pressing concern emerges: the potential threat of asteroids. These ancient remnants of our solar system, while vital to understanding our origins, also pose significant dangers.

The Chelyabinsk event in 2013 stands as a stark reminder. A relatively small asteroid resulted in extensive damage, injuring over 1,200 people. On a more colossal scale, the catastrophic asteroid impact 65 million years ago disrupted Earth's ecosystem and led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Responding to this challenge, agencies like NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office have been at the forefront. Their mission? Detect, track, and strategize against these celestial threats. The advanced techniques employed, from kinetic impactors to gravity tractors, are testament to human ingenuity in safeguarding our planet.

Furthermore, this defense is a collective endeavor. Renowned global organizations, including the UN's Office for Outer Space Affairs and the International Asteroid Warning Network, collaborate to create an integrated response to asteroid threats.

In essence, while the vastness of space presents uncertainties, our commitment to planetary defense and collaborative efforts ensure a proactive stance against potential dangers. Dive into this exploration to grasp the seriousness and science of preserving Earth's safety in the face of celestial challenges. Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr7IIzjxFDg

[theworldnew13]

The International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin. What does this decision mean?

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued international arrest warrants for the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, as well as the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are accused of illegally deporting the population and children from the territory of Ukraine to Russia. “Volodymyr Vladimirovich Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, is most…