NASA's DART spacecraft will destroy target asteroid more severely than anticipated: Study

A new study conducted over NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) has revealed results of the spacecraft colliding with an asteroid. Carried out by scientists at the University of Bern and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Planets, the study is based on a simulation of the DART spacecraft slamming into a small asteroid moonlet.

This mission was launched in November last year and is meant to test a defense technology in case a potentially-hazardous asteroid comes hurtling toward Earth. 

This is the first-ever planetary mission launched by NASA toward the Dimorphos (diameter 160-meter or 530-foot) asteroid, which orbits a bigger asteroid named Didymos (diameter of 780-meter or 2,560-foot). Arriving at its destination in September this year, the DART spacecraft will ram into Dimorphos at a speed of 23,760 kph to see if the impact changes the asteroid's position and orbital path. If the results are promising, this technology of "kinetic impactor" will eventually be used to protect our planet. 

What did the study reveal?

The simulation developed under the study revealed that the impact would leave Dimorphos severely deformed instead of just leaving a crater, something which can be considered good news in terms of planetary defense. Notably, there were other studies conducted in the past that used simulations to determine the results of the collision.

However, this new research took into account the post-impact shock waves and the cratering process along with the fact the Dimorphos has a loose core instead of a solid and densely packed one.

Lead study author and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bern, Sabina Raducan cited direct evidence from the Japanese space agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa2 probe, which demonstrated that asteroids have a very loose internal structure. More like a pile of rubble that is loosely held by a weak gravitational force. "This could drastically change the outcome of the collision of DART and Dimorphos", she added as per Space.com.

Notably, in less than 100 days, the spacecraft will collide with the asteroid and prove the accuracy of these studies. Interestingly, the impact will be recorded by the CubeSat which was developed by the Italian Space Agency and has accompanied DART in its journey.