The first images that show the moment Nasa’s Dart spacecraft crashed into an asteroid have been released. Photo: Italian Space Agency / Nasa
The first images that show the moment Nasa’s Dart spacecraft crashed into an asteroid have been released. Photo: Italian Space Agency / Nasa
Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) spacecraft targeted a binary asteroid system and smashed into Dimorphos – which orbits a larger asteroid, Didymos, to see if it can shift it slightly off course. Photo: Italian Space Agency / Nasa
Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) spacecraft targeted a binary asteroid system and smashed into Dimorphos – which orbits a larger asteroid, Didymos, to see if it can shift it slightly off course. Photo: Italian Space Agency / Nasa
The pictures were captured by Italian Space Agency’s LiciaCube, a small cube satellite, that was released by the Dart spacecraft on September 11. Photo: Italian Space Agency / Nasa
The pictures were captured by Italian Space Agency’s LiciaCube, a small cube satellite, that was released by the Dart spacecraft on September 11. Photo: Italian Space Agency / Nasa
Viewers across the world got a point of view of the spacecraft the moment it crashed into the asteroid on September 27, 2022, at a speed of 24,000km an hour — fast enough to travel from New York to Paris in 15 minutes. Photo: Nasa
Viewers across the world got a point of view of the spacecraft the moment it crashed into the asteroid on September 27, 2022, at a speed of 24,000km an hour — fast enough to travel from New York to Paris in 15 minutes. Photo: Nasa
The collision on Tuesday was part of a planetary defence test by the US space agency, and the asteroid posed no threat to Earth. Photo: Nasa
The collision on Tuesday was part of a planetary defence test by the US space agency, and the asteroid posed no threat to Earth. Photo: Nasa

World

Test to smash asteroid off course with DART spacecraft was a success, Nasa says

The space vehicle collided with the asteroid Dimorphos last year but results were announced on Wednesday

Robert Tollast
Robert Tollast

March 02, 2023

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A Nasa mission to hit an asteroid with a spacecraft — intending to knock the object off course and find a way of protecting Earth from disaster — has proven surprisingly successful, scientists said on Wednesday.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was conducted on September 26, with the impact being captured by the Hubble telescope.

“All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet. After all, it’s the only one we have,” said Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson at the time of the impact.

“This mission shows that Nasa is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us,” he said.

But it is only now, five months later, that scientists have the results of the test: the asteroid’s trajectory has been altered, after being hit with the 544kg spacecraft that was travelling over 20,000kph.

The orbital period of the Dimorphos asteroid — which never posed a threat to Earth — was changed by 33 minutes, Nasa said, leading to hopes that in future, DART or a similar project could protect us from deadly projectiles capable of destroying entire cities or wiping out all life on the planet.

“I cheered when DART slammed head on into the asteroid for the world’s first planetary defence technology demonstration, and that was just the start,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at Nasa headquarters in Washington.

“These findings add to our fundamental understanding of asteroids and build a foundation for how humanity can defend Earth from a potentially hazardous asteroid by altering its course."

Google celebrated the success of DART by launching a search engine Easter Egg — an inside joke or cultural reference displayed on Google following a search prompt — that shows an asteroid crashing when a user searched "Nasa DART".

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

On Women's Day
Oscars in the UAE

The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am

The Bio

Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.

Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.

Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.

Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.

'Champions'

Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
 

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SRI LANKA SQUAD

Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay

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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Twin%20electric%20motors%20and%20105kWh%20battery%20pack%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E619hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUp%20to%20561km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQ3%20or%20Q4%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh635%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Updated: March 02, 2023, 3:24 PM`
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