Big breakthrough! How to really hit an asteroid, scientists to take sneak peek, help NASA

NASA’s first attempt at planetary defense against potentially catastrophic asteroids was a resounding success. NASA’s DART Mission is a nearly $330 million first step to protect the planet against potential asteroid impact. The aim of the Double Asteroid Detection Test or DART test was to smash a spacecraft into the Dimorphos asteroid to deflect it away from its path. Although this test was successful, scientists conducted thorough studies of the asteroid before proceeding with the test. But what if an asteroid comes for Earth? Will scientists be able to study the internal structure of the asteroid?

It turns out, a team of MIT scientists have been already working on a solution to study the internal makeup of an asteroid. In research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, MIT scientists have developed a new method to study the internal structure of the space rock based on how the spin of the asteroid changes when it makes a close approach with a huge celestial object, like a planet. This will help in understanding the internal structure of the asteroid as well as the weight distribution, which could help in future DART Missions.

Jack Dinsmore, who developed the new asteroid-mapping technique as an MIT undergraduate majoring in physics told MIT News, “If you know the density distribution of the asteroid, you could hit it at just the right spot so it actually moves away.”

The team of MIT scientists look to apply this research on a Near-Earth Asteroid named Apophis. Although this asteroid is not expected to impact Earth anytime soon, a slight deviation in its trajectory could send it hurtling towards the planet.

Dinsmore told MIT News, “Apophis will miss Earth in 2029, and scientists have cleared it for its next few encounters, but we can’t clear it forever. So, it’s good to understand the nature of this particular asteroid, because if we ever need to redirect it, it’s important to understand what it’s made of.”