Inside NASA’s plan to crash spacecraft into asteroid — new video uploaded to AP Video Hub

September 16, 2022 Purdue News

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —

A video featuring Michelle Thompson, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University’s College of Science, has been uploaded to the AP Video Hub. In the video, she explains how NASA plans to test redirecting objects away from Earth by crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid. This video can be found at https://apvideohub.ap.org/detail/InsideNASAsplantocrashspacecraftintoasteroid/51ef58358e0a4c9eb5c9442ae7762122. All videos in the Campus Insights series are free for download and use by all AP members and can be found at apvideohub.ap.org or by doing a general search on the Associated Press site. AP members may use the video or pull quotes for print article or for broadcast or podcast.

Storyline:

Thompson says that NASA’s double asteroid redirection test, or DART, is a mission focused on planetary defense. NASA has launched a spacecraft to impact the surface of an asteroid to determine if this could move objects off a collision course with Earth. Thompson says this test is important because scientists aren’t able to track every object in the sky that may enter near-Earth space. She says being prepared with a solution will enable the world to better protect itself in the event of a potential collision. Thompson notes that there is no risk that the asteroid being hit during the DART mission will enter into a collision course with Earth. She says this test is a safe and highly rewarding mission that will better prepare the world for problematic asteroid events. The test will occur Sept. 26 at 7:14 p.m. EDT with NASA livestreaming and providing coverage.