Redirecting Asteroids from The Project Desk(!) 27th Sep 2022

NASA’s DART Mission made history as they successfully intercepted an asteroid demonstrating that we can deflect a potential Earth colliding one in future through an impact with a spacecraft (and yes just to confirm DART was just a test! There’s no danger from the Dimorphos asteoid!!) It was sublime science, engineering and maths as the spacecraft travelling at 25,000 km/h hit a target just 160m across after an 11 MILLION km journey, like you hitting a dartboard from across the planet OR a $2 coin in Adelaide from Sydney.

Joining The Project on the desk to share the news was a thrill of course, but it was a particular thrill getting to share Australia’s efforts in today! The CSIRO team were tracking and relaying data and commands right until that last moment from the CSIRO-operated NASA Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla, Canberra as well as the New Norcia dishes in WA they operate for ESA.

That the historic DART mission was entrusted to Australia’s hands, and the team at the CSIRO did us and the world proud. We no longer have to go the way of the dinosaurs. A nation supporting science and technology has let us save the world from the threat of asteroids, now let’s solve the rest of the threats facing our planets this century