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AIDA

A group of scientists recently got together to figure out what would happen in the effect of an unavoidable asteroid touch on, only only because yous program for the worst doesn't mean you can't hope for the best. The ESA and NASA are pushing for a 2022 mission to test technologies that could assistance usa deflect an object before it smacks into Earth. We don't know how many large, Earth-threatening asteroids are out there in the depths of infinite, but it's not a matter of if one volition striking World. It'due south a matter of when.

The joint European-U.s. Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) is however in the planning stages, but it could launch in 2020. The ESA will decide in several weeks whether or non it will motion forward with the mission. Thus, experts in planetary science and space exploration have issued a alphabetic character in back up of the mission.

AIDA is actually composed of two missions. On the European side is the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM). Meanwhile, NASA is prepping a mission known as Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Sprint). Both missions would fly probes to the binary asteroid system Didymos. These objects are set to laissez passer within six.8 million miles of Earth in 2022. That gives scientists an unique opportunity to test asteroid redirection technologies in existent life rather than in simulations.

Didymos is the name of the larger of the 2 objects in this arrangement. It's about ii,600 anxiety (800m) in diameter. The smaller orbiting asteroid is known as Didymoon and is a mere 560 anxiety (170m) across. The AIM mission would head for Didymoon to deploy a lander and wait the inflow of the Sprint probe. DART's mission is to hit Didymoon with an impactor at loftier speed. AIM will then monitor the outcome this has on Didymoon's orbit effectually Didymos. This is the sort of technique humanity might use to deflect a potentially unsafe object, assuming information technology was found far enough in advance.

At that place are a lot of variables to be deemed for before the AIDA missions can be launched. For example, astronomers have not been able to characterize the surface of Didymoon due to its small size. The lander has to be designed to cope with extremely depression gravity — the escape velocity of Didymoon is just 0.13 mph. You might recall the harpoon system that was supposed to tether the Philae lander to comet 67P failed. The stakes are even college hither. If the AIM lander bounces off the surface, information technology would float away.

The authors of the letter of support are hopeful information technology can make a difference. There's no margin for error hither; the mission has to launch in 2022 for a Didymos rendezvous to be possible. That ways last mission design needs to starting time shortly.