Successful kinetic impact into an asteroid for planetary defence

R. Terik Daly (), Carolyn M. Ernst, Olivier S. Barnouin, Nancy L. Chabot, Andrew S. Rivkin, Andrew F. Cheng, Elena Y. Adams, Harrison F. Agrusa, Elisabeth D. Abel, Amy L. Alford, Erik I. Asphaug, Justin A. Atchison, Andrew R. Badger, Paul Baki, Ronald-L. Ballouz, Dmitriy L. Bekker, Julie Bellerose, Shyam Bhaskaran, Bonnie J. Buratti, Saverio Cambioni, Michelle H. Chen, Steven R. Chesley, George Chiu, Gareth S. Collins, Matthew W. Cox, Mallory E. DeCoster, Peter S. Ericksen, Raymond C. Espiritu, Alan S. Faber, Tony L. Farnham, Fabio Ferrari, Zachary J. Fletcher, Robert W. Gaskell, Dawn M. Graninger, Musad A. Haque, Patricia A. Harrington-Duff, Sarah Hefter, Isabel Herreros, Masatoshi Hirabayashi, Philip M. Huang, Syau-Yun W. Hsieh, Seth A. Jacobson, Stephen N. Jenkins, Mark A. Jensenius, Jeremy W. John, Martin Jutzi, Tomas Kohout, Timothy O. Krueger, Frank E. Laipert, Norberto R. Lopez, Robert Luther, Alice Lucchetti, Declan M. Mages, Simone Marchi, Anna C. Martin, Maria E. McQuaide, Patrick Michel, Nicholas A. Moskovitz, Ian W. Murphy, Naomi Murdoch, Shantanu P. Naidu, Hari Nair, Michael C. Nolan, Jens Ormö, Maurizio Pajola, Eric E. Palmer, James M. Peachey, Petr Pravec, Sabina D. Raducan, K. T. Ramesh, Joshua R. Ramirez, Edward L. Reynolds, Joshua E. Richman, Colas Q. Robin, Luis M. Rodriguez, Lew M. Roufberg, Brian P. Rush, Carolyn A. Sawyer, Daniel J. Scheeres, Petr Scheirich, Stephen R. Schwartz, Matthew P. Shannon, Brett N. Shapiro, Caitlin E. Shearer, Evan J. Smith, R. Joshua Steele, Jordan K. Steckloff, Angela M. Stickle, Jessica M. Sunshine, Emil A. Superfin, Zahi B. Tarzi, Cristina A. Thomas, Justin R. Thomas, Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez, B. Teresa Tropf, Andrew T. Vaughan, Dianna Velez, C. Dany Waller, Daniel S. Wilson, Kristin A. Wortman and Yun Zhang
Additional contact information
R. Terik Daly: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Carolyn M. Ernst: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Olivier S. Barnouin: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Nancy L. Chabot: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Andrew S. Rivkin: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Andrew F. Cheng: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Elena Y. Adams: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Harrison F. Agrusa: University of Maryland
Elisabeth D. Abel: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Amy L. Alford: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Erik I. Asphaug: University of Arizona
Justin A. Atchison: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Andrew R. Badger: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Paul Baki: Technical University of Kenya
Ronald-L. Ballouz: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Dmitriy L. Bekker: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Julie Bellerose: California Institute of Technology
Shyam Bhaskaran: California Institute of Technology
Bonnie J. Buratti: California Institute of Technology
Saverio Cambioni: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michelle H. Chen: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Steven R. Chesley: California Institute of Technology
George Chiu: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Gareth S. Collins: Imperial College London
Matthew W. Cox: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Mallory E. DeCoster: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Peter S. Ericksen: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Raymond C. Espiritu: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Alan S. Faber: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Tony L. Farnham: University of Maryland
Fabio Ferrari: Politecnico di Milano
Zachary J. Fletcher: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Robert W. Gaskell: Planetary Science Institute
Dawn M. Graninger: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Musad A. Haque: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Patricia A. Harrington-Duff: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Sarah Hefter: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Isabel Herreros: Centro de Astrobiologiá (CAB) CSIC-INTA
Masatoshi Hirabayashi: Auburn University
Philip M. Huang: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Syau-Yun W. Hsieh: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Seth A. Jacobson: Michigan State University
Stephen N. Jenkins: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Mark A. Jensenius: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Jeremy W. John: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Martin Jutzi: University of Bern
Tomas Kohout: Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Timothy O. Krueger: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Frank E. Laipert: California Institute of Technology
Norberto R. Lopez: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Robert Luther: Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science
Alice Lucchetti: INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Padova
Declan M. Mages: California Institute of Technology
Simone Marchi: Southwest Research Institute
Anna C. Martin: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Maria E. McQuaide: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Patrick Michel: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange
Nicholas A. Moskovitz: Lowell Observatory
Ian W. Murphy: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Naomi Murdoch: Université de Toulouse
Shantanu P. Naidu: California Institute of Technology
Hari Nair: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Michael C. Nolan: University of Arizona
Jens Ormö: Centro de Astrobiologiá (CAB) CSIC-INTA
Maurizio Pajola: INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Padova
Eric E. Palmer: Planetary Science Institute
James M. Peachey: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Petr Pravec: Astronomical Institute AS CR
Sabina D. Raducan: University of Bern
K. T. Ramesh: Johns Hopkins University
Joshua R. Ramirez: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Edward L. Reynolds: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Joshua E. Richman: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Colas Q. Robin: Université de Toulouse
Luis M. Rodriguez: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Lew M. Roufberg: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Brian P. Rush: California Institute of Technology
Carolyn A. Sawyer: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Daniel J. Scheeres: University of Colorado
Petr Scheirich: Astronomical Institute AS CR
Stephen R. Schwartz: Planetary Science Institute
Matthew P. Shannon: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Brett N. Shapiro: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Caitlin E. Shearer: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Evan J. Smith: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
R. Joshua Steele: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Jordan K. Steckloff: Planetary Science Institute
Angela M. Stickle: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Jessica M. Sunshine: University of Maryland
Emil A. Superfin: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Zahi B. Tarzi: California Institute of Technology
Cristina A. Thomas: Northern Arizona University
Justin R. Thomas: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez: Institute of Space Sciences
B. Teresa Tropf: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Andrew T. Vaughan: California Institute of Technology
Dianna Velez: California Institute of Technology
C. Dany Waller: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Daniel S. Wilson: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Kristin A. Wortman: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Yun Zhang: University of Maryland

Nature, 2023, vol. 616, issue 7957, 443-447

Abstract: Abstract Although no known asteroid poses a threat to Earth for at least the next century, the catalogue of near-Earth asteroids is incomplete for objects whose impacts would produce regional devastation1,2. Several approaches have been proposed to potentially prevent an asteroid impact with Earth by deflecting or disrupting an asteroid1–3. A test of kinetic impact technology was identified as the highest-priority space mission related to asteroid mitigation1. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is a full-scale test of kinetic impact technology. The mission’s target asteroid was Dimorphos, the secondary member of the S-type binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos. This binary asteroid system was chosen to enable ground-based telescopes to quantify the asteroid deflection caused by the impact of the DART spacecraft4. Although past missions have utilized impactors to investigate the properties of small bodies5,6, those earlier missions were not intended to deflect their targets and did not achieve measurable deflections. Here we report the DART spacecraft’s autonomous kinetic impact into Dimorphos and reconstruct the impact event, including the timeline leading to impact, the location and nature of the DART impact site, and the size and shape of Dimorphos. The successful impact of the DART spacecraft with Dimorphos and the resulting change in the orbit of Dimorphos7 demonstrates that kinetic impactor technology is a viable technique to potentially defend Earth if necessary.

Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05810-5

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