NASA is planning to launch its mission in September 2022 wherein the spacecraft the Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART will test the NASA’s capacity to divert an asteroid by slamming into it with the energy of approximately three tons of TNT.

In their $69 million mission the main aim is to diverge the rock from its target to judge whether we can prevent an apocalypse resulting from the asteroid hitting our planet. Found in 1996 Didymos is a pair of asteroids close the earth and one of them Didymoon is the main target. The spacecraft will slam into it destructing a part – of the whole asteroid resulting in millions of pieces but only a small portion may reach earth over time. Most of the pieces will remain within the gravity of the Didymos.

In their new scientific paper scientists at the University of Western Ontario warns that the material released from slamming the asteroids may trouble future spacecrafts. A possibility that some of the material may reach earth can be used to study the asteroids close to the earth. Their composition can be studied by determining the color of the light they generate. For example if there are blue meteors then the asteroid is of magnesium composition whereas if it is yellow then the makeup comprises iron.

If the mission is successful we may have the capability to defend ourselves from an apocalypse the same which resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs by diverging the rock away from the orbit of the earth.

The impact can result in 22k to 220k pounds of centimeter-sized debris a fair amount to say the least. However don’t expect a meteor shower soon as it may take thousands of years to even reach the earth’s atmosphere. But if the angle of impact is correct and it reaches more than 13000 miles per hour we can expect a shower within 15 days as well.

Though the mission is found to be relatively safe and poses no threat as of now. However according to the paper it may impact future space operations.

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