Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
Business Casual Men Blazer Buy Now
Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR w/ 18-55mm Lens Buy Now
KODAK PIXPRO AZ255-BK 16MP Vlogging Camera Buy Now
Men's Shawl Collar Cardigans Buy Now
CRZ Yoga Butterluxe Leggings Buy Now
Sefwon Phantom Black Unlocked Android Smartphone Buy Now
Cotton Military Outdoor Jackets Buy Now
Fashion Casual Slim Fit Sweater Buy Now
See-Through Beach Floral Maxi Skirts Buy Now
ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 Laptop Buy Now
Workout Set: 5-Piece Exercise Outfits Buy Now
JW PEI Jana Shoulder Bag Buy Now
Superior Milford Buy Now
2 Pieces Summer Beach Outfits Buy Now
Rdruko Men's Track Suits Buy Now
Afterburn M. Fit Sneaker Buy Now
Michael Kors Oversized Runway Watch Buy Now
Hyaluronic Acid Serum for Face Buy Now
Runnatal Dish Drying Rack Buy Now
Summer Vacation Resort Maxi Dresses Buy Now
MoreBack to News Headlines
NASA spacecraft en route to smash into asteroid after launch

NASA spacecraft en route to smash into asteroid after launch

CBC
Wednesday, November 24, 2021 2:07 PM GMT

NASA launched a spacecraft Tuesday night on a mission to smash into an asteroid and test whether it would be possible to knock a speeding space rock off course if one were to threaten Earth.

The DART spacecraft, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in a $330 million US project with echoes of the Bruce Willis movie Armageddon.

If all goes well, in September 2022 it will slam head-on into Dimorphos, an asteroid 160 metres across, at 24,000 km/h.

"This isn't going to destroy the asteroid. It's just going to give it a small nudge," said mission official Nancy Chabot of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which is managing the project.

Dimorphos orbits a much larger asteroid called Didymos. The pair are no danger to Earth but offer scientists a way to measure the effectiveness of the collision.

Dimorphos completes one orbit of Didymos every 11 hours, 55 minutes. DART's goal is a crash that will slow Dimorphos down and cause it to fall closer toward the bigger asteroid, shaving 10 minutes off its orbit.

The change in the orbital period will be measured by telescopes on Earth. The minimum change for the mission to be considered a success is 73 seconds.

The DART technique could prove useful for altering the course of an asteroid years or decades before it bears down on Earth with the potential for catastrophe.

A small nudge "would add up to a big change in its future position, and then the asteroid and the Earth wouldn't be on a collision course," Chabot said.

Scientists constantly search for asteroids and plot their courses to determine whether they could hit the planet.

"Although there isn't a currently known asteroid that's on an impact course with the Earth, we do know that there is a large population of near-Earth asteroids out there," said Lindley Johnson, planetary defence officer at NASA. "The key to planetary defence is finding them well before they are an impact threat."

DART will take 10 months to reach the asteroid pair. The collision will occur about 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometres) from Earth.

Ten days beforehand, DART will release a tiny observation spacecraft supplied by the Italian space agency that will follow it.

DART will stream video until it is destroyed on impact. Three minutes later, the trailing craft will make images of the impact site and material that is ejected.

Read full story on CBC
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
Iran suspends co-operation with UN nuclear watchdog

Iran's president on Wednesday ordered the country to suspend its co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes hit its most-important nuclear facilities, likely further limiting the ability of inspectors to track Tehran's program that had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.

Trump says Israel agrees to 'necessary conditions to finalize' 60-day Gaza ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and warned the militant group Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.

Stepping off the Trump treadmill: A CBC correspondent bids farewell to Washington

I got a journalism tip over drinks from a veteran Canadian correspondent when I first landed in Washington more than a decade ago — a formula for stories guaranteed to thrill audiences back home.

58 killed in intensified Israeli strikes in Gaza, ahead of another ceasefire push

Israeli strikes killed at least 58 people across Gaza on Monday, as residents in the enclave's north reported one of the heaviest bombardments in weeks. It comes as Israeli officials were due in Washington for a new ceasefire push by the Trump administration.

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us