Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission

Why in news?

• The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission intentionally crashed on an asteroid to test a unique defence technology.

About Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission:

• Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a NASA space mission aimed at testing a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects (NEOs).
• It was designed to assess how much a spacecraft impact deflects an asteroid through a transfer of momentum by hitting the asteroid head on and attempting to slow it.
• The asteroid selected for the test poses no actual threat to Earth. The probe was launched from Earth on in November 2021, and on 26 September 2022 intentionally crashed into Dimorphos, the minor-planet moon of the asteroid Didymos.

Add ons:

• DART is a joint project between NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).
• International partners, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), Italian Space Agency (ASI), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), are contributing to related or subsequent projects.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission, which is aimed at testing a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects, is launched by:

(a) ISRO

(b) NASA

(c) China National Space Administration

(d) Roscosmos

Answer