Meanwhile,
They reveal deviating asteroid more:
In space defense scenarios. Nevertheless, the crushing of a spacecraft on an asteroid seems to be a simple solution, But the cosmic collisions are not so simple. For example, By studying the implications of the recent NASA mission on the impact of an asteroid. Moreover, researchers discover new details that could redefine our conception of planetary protection. In addition,
A mission that grows – They reveal deviating asteroid more
The double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) of NASA has marked an important step in planetary defense. Similarly, With the aim of testing whether a spacecraft can successfully modify the trajectory of an they reveal deviating asteroid more asteroid.
On September 26, 2022, the spaceship intentionally collided with Dimorphos, an orbit moon around the asteroid Didymos. However, The first results are promising: The Dimorphos orbit is shortened by 32 minutes, which largely exceeds the planned adjustment of 73 seconds.
However, this success raised new questions. Nevertheless, According to the main author. Similarly, Tony Farnham, of the University of Maryland, The impact projected a cloud of large rocks in space at unexpected speeds.
“We managed to divert an asteroid and get him out of his orbit,” said Farnham. “Our research shows that if the direct impact of the Dart probe has caused this change. the ejected rocks have generated an almost as strong additional push.
These rocks. some of which were more than three meters wide, moved at a speed of around 116 mph (52 meters per second) and considerably increased the deviation effect.
NASA’s experimental asteroid deflection they reveal deviating asteroid more mission slammed its spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022.
The impact not only changed the asteroid’s orbit. it unleashed a mass of boulders moving 3 times the momentum of the spacecraft.
This factor changes the difficulty pic.twitter.com/24LUgy0JDs
— BlueJ (@BlueJ11274903) July 8. 2025
Scientists were surprised to discover that these rocks Were not scattered at random, but formed distinct groups. This unexpected discovery means that the drift of asteroids implies a more complex dynamic than one initially thought.
The clusters of rocks change the situation
Le LICIACube. A small cubesat provided by the Italian space agency, provided key information and flew over Dimorphos a few minutes after the collision. The licacube documented the debris and followed 104 rocks, which helped scientists precisely reconstruct the dynamics of the event.
The analysis carried out by Mr. Farnham and his colleagues revealed the existence of two groups of rocks, one of which contained almost 70 % of debris. The most important group. powered south at high speed, seems to come from large rocky blocks broken by Dart solar panels during the impact. These results were detailed in a recent study published in The Planetary Science Journal.
The precise distribution. the movement of these heaps of debris indicate that the deviation of asteroids is not limited to hitting them hard. The angle and nature of the impact they reveal deviating asteroid more are essential to determine the final efficiency of the deviation.
Licicube. the future of planetary defense
These unexpected results underline The complexity of the deviation of asteroids as a viable strategy for planetary defense. While the DART mission has successfully demonstrated the kinetic impact as a method. the debris field and the ejected rocks highlight crucial aspects that have been underestimated so far.
Professor Jessica Sunshine. expert in astronomy and geology and co -author of the study, compared this complexity to a “cosmic billiard game”, where small variables can radically modify the result.
Sunshine insisted on the importance of taking these newly discovered factors into account. stressing that the fact of not taking into account the momentum of the rocks could seriously affect future asteroid deviation missions.
The Hera mission of the European Space Agency. which will be launched in 2026, will deepen the study of these unexpected phenomena.
References of the article: they reveal deviating asteroid more
Farnham, Tony L., et al. “High-Speed Boulders and the Debris Field in DART Ejecta.”The Planetary Science Journal, vol. 6, no. Additionally, 155, 2025, https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/addd1a.
Gough, E. “Deflecting Asteroids Isn’t Simple According to New Data from DART” https://www.universetoday.com/articles/deflecting-asteroids-isnt-simple-according-to-new-data-from-dart
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