Nasa and SpaceX's DART mission set to launch today

[Jan]

Nasa and SpaceX's Dart launch — Watch it live

Nasa and SpaceX's collaboration mission to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid is scheduled to launch at approximately 8:21 am today.

A Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) spacecraft onboard.

 

[Gordon_R]

Several comments and links in the previous thread on this topic:

SpaceX and Nasa will test a new defence mechanism by crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid

SpaceX and Nasa want to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid SpaceX and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) have announced plans to intentionally crash a satellite into an asteroid. The point of the collision is to determine whether it is possible to redirect the course of...

mybroadband.co.za

 

[Arthur]

Wouldn't be fun if the deflection is off-kilter and ends up knocking the Didymos asteroid pair into a collision course with our rock.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

so when does the first mining team land on a space rock? as that be a lot more useful than crashing one spacecraft into a Space rock.

 

[system32]

Why did the 2nd stage not stay attached to DART to give DART more kinetic energy?

 

[Gordon_R]

Just launched (that is not always guaranteed), according to the BBC:

Nasa Dart asteroid spacecraft: Mission to smash into Dimorphos space rock launches

A spacecraft has started its journey as it aims to deliberately nudge an asteroid off course.

www.bbc.com

 

[Gordon_R]

Why did the 2nd stage not stay attached to DART to give DART more kinetic energy?

The spacecraft will use an ion thruster for propulsion, keeping the 2nd stage attached is not an option. Plenty of details here:

Double Asteroid Redirection Test - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[JohnStarr]

so when does the first mining team land on a space rock? as that be a lot more useful than crashing one spacecraft into a Space rock.

*cues Aerosmith's "I don't want to miss a thing"*

 

[grok]

so when does the first mining team land on a space rock? as that be a lot more useful than crashing one spacecraft into a Space rock.

Ah finally a follow up to Armageddon.. Jocks with cocks on a space rock!

 

[wingnut771]

Why did the 2nd stage not stay attached to DART to give DART more kinetic energy?

because it's out of fuel?

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

*cues Aerosmith's "I don't want to miss a thing"*

no actually I had in mind,
the Apprentice theme song,

as the first to do it will make Elon musk look Like a Begger in Hillbrow,

 

[system32]

because it's out of fuel?

I think they "float" towards the target to 20,000km/h

 

[Gordon_R]

I think they "float" towards the target to 20,000km/h

They have to do mid-course corrections to hit the target (it's a tiny asteroid halfway around the solar system). You can't do that with a giant 2nd stage still attached.