NASA’s DART probe crashed into the asteroid Dimorphos yesterday to test a spacecraft’s ability to deflect an asteroid in one of its most dramatic space missions ever.
NASA needs more information on this topic, following what appears to be a science-fiction movie plot to deflect an asteroid with the DART mission. Following this, the European Space Agency has started to work to take the next big step by preparing for a trip to the asteroid after this collision.
A small cubic radar called JuRa, developed by the European Space Agency, will visit the asteroid Dimorphos in a few years and collect post-collision information. The size of this cube, pictured above, is only 10 centimeters.
The aim of the project is to collect surface and internal characteristic data about Dimorphos and its moon Didymos, as well as to characterize other changes in Dimporphos’ orbit. JuRa is scheduled to launch in October 2024 and rendezvous with Dimorphos in December 2026.
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