DART probe dumps over 1,000 tonnes of debris on asteroid Dimorphos ~ News Directory 3 [Video]

Scientists on the team have been analyzing data collected from the mission since NASA’s DART probe successfully slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos last year. So far, they have published five papers in Nature, and not long ago, they confirmed that if there are enough asteroids to destroy the earth flying towards us in the future, then the DART scheme can be used to protect the planet .

According to data released by NASA, before DART’s main body completely collided with Dimorphos, one of its solar panels hit the asteroid at a speed of 6 kilometers per second. This was also a factor in the success of the mission, as it maximized the force of the impact. The researchers estimate that DART dumped about 1,100 tons of debris on Dimorphos, the debris flew out of the asteroid and produced four times the force of DART’s impact, which further changed Dimorphos’ trajectory.

…