Did You Know NASA Once Tried to Redirect an Asteroid? Find Out What Happened

Amaze Lab

Remember back in 2022 when NASA conducted its Double Asteroid Redirect Test or Dart mission? It was a success, however, experts now say that some 3 million little bits of asteroid were ejected from that impact and some of them are heading our way.

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00:00remember back in 2022 when nasa conducted its double asteroid redirect test or dart mission

00:08well that was a resounding success with a small 1280 pound spacecraft slamming into the dimorphous

00:15asteroid and slowing its rotational speed however experts now say that 3 million little bits of

00:20asteroid were ejected from that impact and some of them are heading our way researchers use

00:25supercomputers at nasa's navigation and ancillary information facility to calculate all of their

00:30trajectories finding that some of those particles which made their exodus from dimorphous at speeds

00:34upwards of 3 355 miles per hour could reach earth in just seven years no more realistic estimates put

00:42that timeline closer to 30 years so should we start battening down the hatches for this meteor incursion

00:47experts say no one of the researchers tracking these asteroid bits dr eloy peña asencio said about the

00:53findings if these ejected dimorphous fragments reach earth they will not pose any risk their

00:58small size and high speed will cause them to disintegrate in the atmosphere creating a

01:03beautiful luminous streak in the sky unfortunately the researchers add that because most of the

01:07fragments are so small they will likely not be visible when they enter earth's atmosphere

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