Didymos asteroid is not really a threat to the Earth at least for the next few decades, the trajectory of the asteroid's orbit is within a million kilometers from our planet. Although not a threat, the asteroid will be subjected to destructive asteroid mission conducted by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Joint mission between the European Union and the United States is planning to block Didymos asteroid by 2022, when that space rock was about 11 million kilometers from the Earth. ESA spokesman announced plans to crash a spacecraft into the asteroid near to Earth on February 22, 2013.
Dydimos actually a binary system because it consists of two asteroids. The main asteroid, with a diameter of 800 meters, while a small asteroid measuring 150 meters and orbit each other.
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| An artist's concept for the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission led by the European Space Agency to intentionally strike an asteroid and test deflection capabilities that could protect Earth. (Picture from: http://www.livescience.com/) |
Spacecraft are used in this mission is designed to be self-sufficient and able to achieve most of its objectives the mission with their own abilities. The rides were chosen to commit suicide is Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft belonging to the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory. And the ESA's spacecraft, Asteroid Impact Monitor (AIM) will conduct the Didymos detailed survey, both before and after the collision.
The purpose of it was a suicide mission to learn more, how people can deflect space rocks that could potentially destroy the Earth. The need to develop strategies that lead to bending space rock was more urgent to Earth after 2012 DA14 asteroid measuring 40 meters across the Earth at very close distance, only 120 thousand kilometers much closer than the communication satellites that orbit the Earth on February 15, 2013.
The record-breaking on asteroid flyby closest to Earth events took place a few hours after a 17-meter-sized meteor exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, which injured 1,200 people and damaged thousands of buildings.
Spacecraft collision with an asteroid on the AIDA mission will unleash the power of energy same as when a large space junk hit the satellite. The mission also could help improve the modeling of collision space object debris.
"This project is very valuable for a variety of fields, ranging from applied science to exploration for asteroid resource utilization," said Andy Cheng, Head of AIDA Mission at the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory.
Collision effects project budget is expected to change the trajectory of the second orbital asteroid Didymos. However AIDA is not intended to show how we can deflect asteroids that could threaten Earth.
AIDA mission concept has actually been formulated by ESA and several international institutions, including the University of John Hopkins of the United States, since two years ago. Last week, scientists agreed choose Didymos as test targets.
In a mission to protect the Earth from asteroid hazard, ESA asked scientists from all over the world asking AIDA experiments to do or that can increase the scientific value of the mission. ESA scientists opportunities to get involved in that mission until March 15, 2013. Various experimental ideas can be proposed, such as dealing with very high-speed collision, planetary science, planetary defense, human exploration, spacecraft ops innovation.
"AIDA is not just an asteroid mission, but rather an open research platform to all users of different missions," said Andres Galvez, ESA study manager. *** [ESA | SPACE | LIVESCIENCE | TJANORA DEWI | KORAN TEMPO 4156]
65803 Didymos (1996 GT)
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| Didymos asterroid with its satellite. (Picture from: http://www.esa.int/) |
This small solar system orbits the sun every 21,087 years. The main asteroid about 800 meters in diameter, and smaller size satellites with 150 meters of diameter on 1.1 kilometers orbit distance from the main asteroid. Didymos axis rotation rate is very fast, only 2.26 hours. Didymos is the large asteroid and the most accessible from the Earth, with to change the speed of 5.1 kilometers per second for a spacecraft to reach it, compared to 6 kilometers per second to reach the Moon.
Although not a threat to Earth in the near future, in November 2003, Didymos pass near to the Earth, at a distance of 7.18 million kilometers. This asteroid will approach our planet again in November 2123, at a distance of 5.9 million kilometers. *** [SCIENCEDAILY | NASA | KORAN TEMPO 4156]
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