Dart, a 500 kg “dart”, orbits an asteroid NASA

Is humanity capable of diverting the threatening asteroid from falling to Earth? The European (ESA) and US (NASA) space agencies have developed a life-size test to answer this question: Aida – Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment collaboration.

This program has two components. Very spectacular area Started Wednesday morning With the beginning of the American study dart (“dart” in English). A rocket Hawk 9 From SpaceX The 19-meter spacecraft was launched into space, with the goal simple: in an attempt to strike a small asteroid at the end of September 2022 and move it slightly. In 2024, the second European and baptized Hera spacecraft will be launched and placed in asteroid orbit in 2026 to study it in detail and measure the impact abyss. The cost of each machine (including start and functionality) is around 300 million euros.

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“this is the beginning