The first images of the controlled
crash of the DART probe into an asteroid in a test of a method
of planetary defense against near-Earth objects (NEOs) were
transmitted back to Earth by Italian mini-satellite LiciaCube on
Tuesday.
The images of the probe's impact with the Dimorphos asteroid are
being processed and will be visible later Tuesday, Liciacube
mission chief Simone Pirrotta told ANSA.
"We have downloaded four images, all very interesting", said
Pirrotta, of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
"Our enthusiasm is sky-high".
Managed and coordinated by ASI and built by the firm Argotec,
LiciaCube is the first all-Italian mission active in deep space,
13 million miles from Earth.
The 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 probe impacted the
minor-planet moon Dimorphos of the double asteroid Didymos 10
months later 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 selected for the test poses no actual threat to
Earth.
The DART spacecraft was launched on 24 November 2021, and
successfully collided with Dimorphos on 26 September 2022 at
23:16 UTC.
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