1 01:00:14,844 --> 01:00:16,045 Hello. 2 01:00:16,045 --> 01:00:19,148 I am Karen Fox with NASA's Office of Communications. 3 01:00:19,349 --> 01:00:23,519 And we are here today at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab 4 01:00:23,519 --> 01:00:26,823 in Laurel, Maryland, to talk about 5 01:00:26,823 --> 01:00:30,293 NASA's first test for planetary defense. 6 01:00:30,526 --> 01:00:33,963 This is the double asteroid redirection test mission, 7 01:00:34,197 --> 01:00:40,203 which is going to test one way to change and asteroid's movement in space. 8 01:00:40,403 --> 01:00:42,905 We're planning to launch in late November. 9 01:00:43,373 --> 01:00:45,575 Everybody in the room here today is vaccinated. 10 01:00:45,575 --> 01:00:48,711 We are following CDC and APL guidelines 11 01:00:48,711 --> 01:00:51,748 for social distancing and for masking. 12 01:00:51,914 --> 01:00:55,985 However, speakers will be taking off their masks when they talk. 13 01:00:56,285 --> 01:00:59,889 Our speakers are going to be Lindley Johnson, 14 01:01:00,089 --> 01:01:03,593 the planetary defense officer at NASA headquarters in Washington. 15 01:01:04,127 --> 01:01:08,197 Nancy Chabot the coordination lead on Dart here at APL. 16 01:01:08,798 --> 01:01:13,102 Elaina Adams, the Dart Mission Systems Engineer here at JPL. 17 01:01:13,436 --> 01:01:17,840 And Andy Cheng, Dart Investigations Team Lead at APL. 18 01:01:18,307 --> 01:01:21,244 After they speak, we will open up 19 01:01:21,244 --> 01:01:24,614 the phones to Q and A from our media. 20 01:01:24,847 --> 01:01:29,185 You can press star one in order to get into the queue for those questions. 21 01:01:29,519 --> 01:01:31,487 And additionally, we will be taking questions 22 01:01:31,487 --> 01:01:35,124 from social media at hashtag Ask NASA. 23 01:01:35,858 --> 01:01:40,163 So with that, let's get started with Lindley Johnson, who is going to tell us 24 01:01:40,163 --> 01:01:44,333 about NASA's planetary defense program and how Dart fits into that. 25 01:01:45,268 --> 01:01:46,636 Well, thank you, Karen. 26 01:01:46,636 --> 01:01:49,806 We, in the planetary defense program at NASA are very excited 27 01:01:49,806 --> 01:01:52,809 to be at this point in preparing for the Dart launch. 28 01:01:53,476 --> 01:01:56,012 It's been a few years in development and 29 01:01:56,679 --> 01:01:59,515 we're really looking forward to getting it into space. 30 01:02:00,349 --> 01:02:03,820 We, in the Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA, oversee 31 01:02:03,820 --> 01:02:08,725 the strategy that we have for planetary defense, and it has several 32 01:02:08,725 --> 01:02:12,061 sectors, the first of which, of course, is the most important one. 33 01:02:12,061 --> 01:02:13,796 And that's we got to find him first. 34 01:02:13,796 --> 01:02:17,433 Our capabilities to search, detect and track 35 01:02:18,000 --> 01:02:22,238 these objects and determine their orbits to see if any of them really are a hazard 36 01:02:22,238 --> 01:02:23,206 to the Earth. 37 01:02:23,539 --> 01:02:26,576 It's very rare for an asteroid to impact the Earth, but 38 01:02:26,809 --> 01:02:29,078 it's something we want to know about well ahead of time. 39 01:02:29,746 --> 01:02:33,983 So we're out there searching the skies, developing the catalog 40 01:02:33,983 --> 01:02:37,820 of all the asteroids and comets that can come near Earth. 41 01:02:38,721 --> 01:02:40,923 The second big portion of our work 42 01:02:40,923 --> 01:02:45,194 is then characterizing those objects, determining what their sizes are. 43 01:02:45,762 --> 01:02:49,432 Most of them are so small that if they even if they were to impact 44 01:02:49,432 --> 01:02:52,168 the Earth, they would disintegrate in Earth's atmosphere. 45 01:02:52,769 --> 01:02:56,706 But others are much larger, like Didymos. 46 01:02:56,706 --> 01:03:02,078 Now we've been tracking and characterizing did a and its moon for for many years, 47 01:03:02,078 --> 01:03:06,516 so we have a good understanding of what this asteroid system is. 48 01:03:07,517 --> 01:03:09,652 Then we spend a good deal of effort 49 01:03:10,019 --> 01:03:14,257 planning and coordinating with other agencies in the U.S. 50 01:03:14,257 --> 01:03:18,161 government and our international collaborators in space agencies 51 01:03:18,361 --> 01:03:22,365 around the world on what would be the response 52 01:03:22,365 --> 01:03:26,335 if we were to find an object that was on the impact trajectory 53 01:03:26,602 --> 01:03:29,005 with the Earth and and planning with them 54 01:03:29,939 --> 01:03:33,709 what we might do and and what who is going to do what? 55 01:03:33,776 --> 01:03:37,580 As far as response to an impact threat, 56 01:03:38,281 --> 01:03:41,918 then the action then is of course mitigating. 57 01:03:42,151 --> 01:03:47,290 Hopefully, we are able to do that well out into space before the asteroid 58 01:03:47,557 --> 01:03:50,493 is in imminent danger of impacting the Earth. 59 01:03:51,093 --> 01:03:54,463 And that's what art is all about the test of a capability 60 01:03:54,697 --> 01:03:57,600 to deflect an asteroid. 61 01:03:57,600 --> 01:04:01,771 All of this is part of the National near-Earth Object Preparedness 62 01:04:01,771 --> 01:04:06,008 Strategy and a plan that was developed over the course of four or five years 63 01:04:06,008 --> 01:04:10,680 and released in 2018 with these five goals that you see here. 64 01:04:11,814 --> 01:04:14,917 So ghost goal free 65 01:04:14,917 --> 01:04:16,586 testing, any old deflection 66 01:04:16,586 --> 01:04:19,589 and disruptive eruption and mitigation capabilities. 67 01:04:20,156 --> 01:04:21,591 That's what Dart is all about. 68 01:04:21,591 --> 01:04:24,293 Our first test of a capability to do this. 69 01:04:24,660 --> 01:04:26,896 And so with that, let's hear more about Dart. 70 01:04:28,130 --> 01:04:30,132 Fantastic. Thank you. Lindsey Lindley. 71 01:04:30,166 --> 01:04:31,167 Sorry. 72 01:04:31,400 --> 01:04:34,971 Next up, we have Nancy, who is going to talk us 73 01:04:34,971 --> 01:04:37,440 through the Dart mission specifically. 74 01:04:38,641 --> 01:04:40,409 Great, thank you so much. 75 01:04:40,409 --> 01:04:41,611 I wanted to talk a little bit 76 01:04:41,611 --> 01:04:44,814 about why these asteroids were chosen for the Dart mission. 77 01:04:45,548 --> 01:04:49,051 first and foremost are these asteroids are not a threat to the Earth, 78 01:04:49,085 --> 01:04:50,419 they're not a danger to the Earth. 79 01:04:50,419 --> 01:04:53,623 They're not on a path to hit the Earth in the foreseeable future 80 01:04:53,756 --> 01:04:56,993 that makes them appropriate target for a first test. 81 01:04:57,260 --> 01:05:00,096 But what really makes these asteroids ideal for 82 01:05:00,096 --> 01:05:02,999 this first test is because it's a double asteroid system. 83 01:05:03,165 --> 01:05:06,969 Just like the name of the mission says there's two asteroids here. 84 01:05:06,969 --> 01:05:08,905 There's ditto most the larger one. 85 01:05:08,905 --> 01:05:13,743 It's 780 meters in diameter, and it has a small moon asteroid that goes around it. 86 01:05:13,976 --> 01:05:15,444 It's named amorphous. 87 01:05:15,444 --> 01:05:19,048 It's 160 meters in diameter, and telescopes on 88 01:05:19,048 --> 01:05:22,752 the Earth have been looking at this double asteroid system for decades. 89 01:05:23,019 --> 01:05:25,955 Because of the telescopes here on the Earth, we know that the smaller 90 01:05:25,955 --> 01:05:30,026 the Morpheus goes around Daedalus every eleven hours and 55 minutes, 91 01:05:30,092 --> 01:05:33,562 just like clockwork, and we've been watching that for quite a while. 92 01:05:34,096 --> 01:05:38,167 So what Dart is going to do is it's going to come speeding in really fast. 93 01:05:38,200 --> 01:05:40,603 15,000 miles per hour. 94 01:05:40,836 --> 01:05:44,006 And it's going to target onto the more Phobos, the smaller 95 01:05:44,006 --> 01:05:45,474 of those two asteroids. 96 01:05:45,474 --> 01:05:47,777 Now, darts also catch carrying, which a cube, 97 01:05:47,810 --> 01:05:50,880 which is a cubesat, contributed by the Italian space agency. 98 01:05:51,213 --> 01:05:53,416 It's kicked off ten days in advance 99 01:05:53,416 --> 01:05:56,886 and it will fly by after darts collision roughly three minutes. 100 01:05:57,153 --> 01:05:57,586 And it it'll take 101 01:05:57,586 --> 01:06:00,923 some spectacular images of the ejecta that will talk more about later. 102 01:06:02,124 --> 01:06:04,794 But now what we've done is the Dart 103 01:06:04,794 --> 01:06:08,431 spacecraft is totally destroyed, which you cube is long gone. 104 01:06:08,898 --> 01:06:11,434 How are we going to know how much we deflected this asteroid? 105 01:06:12,068 --> 01:06:14,870 Well, we're going to use these same telescopes here on Earth 106 01:06:14,870 --> 01:06:17,239 that have already been looking at this system for decades, 107 01:06:17,239 --> 01:06:19,909 and they're going to turn their gaze back on this asteroid system. 108 01:06:20,476 --> 01:06:23,980 So if you think about it, the Dart spacecraft, the main body of it, 109 01:06:24,013 --> 01:06:28,417 is about 100 times smaller than amorphous, the asteroid that it's targeting. 110 01:06:28,818 --> 01:06:29,318 So you can see 111 01:06:29,318 --> 01:06:33,222 this isn't going to destroy the asteroid, it's just going to give it a small nudge. 112 01:06:33,389 --> 01:06:37,226 It's actually going to deflect its path around the larger asteroid. 113 01:06:37,226 --> 01:06:40,429 So we're demonstrating asteroid deflection in this double 114 01:06:40,429 --> 01:06:43,299 asteroid system, and it's actually just a small nudge. 115 01:06:43,432 --> 01:06:47,069 It's only going to be a change of about 1% in that orbital period. 116 01:06:47,303 --> 01:06:50,306 So what was eleven hours and 55 minutes before 117 01:06:50,306 --> 01:06:53,376 might be eleven hours and 45 minutes or so? 118 01:06:53,676 --> 01:06:55,611 We're not sure that's one of the main measurements, 119 01:06:55,611 --> 01:06:57,613 and that's the goal for the Dart mission here. 120 01:06:58,914 --> 01:07:00,016 Now, Dart is all 121 01:07:00,016 --> 01:07:03,786 about testing this technology, doing this for asteroid deflection 122 01:07:03,786 --> 01:07:07,890 and importantly, doing this first test now before we'd need it 123 01:07:08,424 --> 01:07:11,193 if there was an asteroid that was a threat to the Earth. 124 01:07:11,460 --> 01:07:15,164 What you'd want to do this technique would would be many years in advance, decades 125 01:07:15,164 --> 01:07:18,834 in advance, such that you would just give this asteroid a small nudge, 126 01:07:19,135 --> 01:07:21,837 which would add up to a big change in its future position. 127 01:07:21,837 --> 01:07:24,974 And then the asteroid in the Earth wouldn't be on a collision course. 128 01:07:25,274 --> 01:07:29,145 And using this double asteroid system to develop this capability, 129 01:07:29,145 --> 01:07:32,948 take this first step to being able to deflect asteroids in the future 130 01:07:33,783 --> 01:07:36,085 is is a really a smart and a safe 131 01:07:36,085 --> 01:07:38,654 way to do this first test. 132 01:07:39,522 --> 01:07:40,923 Thank you so much, Nancy. 133 01:07:40,923 --> 01:07:45,294 We are moving on to Elena Adams, who is going to walk us through the road 134 01:07:45,294 --> 01:07:46,595 to getting to the asteroid. 135 01:07:48,130 --> 01:07:49,532 Thank you, Karen. 136 01:07:49,999 --> 01:07:54,170 So we have been developing Dart at the Johns Hopkins 137 01:07:54,170 --> 01:07:58,874 Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL for short for about five years. 138 01:07:58,874 --> 01:08:02,445 And since we have a lot of partners all over the world, 139 01:08:02,678 --> 01:08:06,782 including the Italian space agency, who are providing us a small cubesat 140 01:08:06,782 --> 01:08:09,518 that we're going to carry on top of our spacecraft, 141 01:08:10,019 --> 01:08:14,523 that we're going to release about ten days prior to heading to Dimorphos. 142 01:08:15,157 --> 01:08:18,160 So we've been in development for about five years. 143 01:08:18,160 --> 01:08:21,363 About a month ago, we went to our launch 144 01:08:21,363 --> 01:08:23,766 site at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, 145 01:08:24,567 --> 01:08:27,937 where we're going to stay for another three weeks 146 01:08:27,937 --> 01:08:30,873 since this is launch -20 debriefing. 147 01:08:31,173 --> 01:08:33,943 We're going to stay there for another three weeks, 148 01:08:33,943 --> 01:08:36,879 completing our tests, getting ready to load parameters. 149 01:08:37,079 --> 01:08:40,983 We just loaded our propellant and in 20 150 01:08:40,983 --> 01:08:44,954 days, we're going to liftoff on SpaceX's Falcon nine rocket. 151 01:08:45,688 --> 01:08:46,856 one thing I want to say is 152 01:08:46,856 --> 01:08:50,893 that we're going to be launching, you might have heard 23rd or 24th. 153 01:08:51,026 --> 01:08:55,731 Well, the point is, though, is that we're launching on the 23rd in Pacific Time, 154 01:08:56,332 --> 01:08:58,734 late in the day at 10:20 p.m.. 155 01:08:58,734 --> 01:09:02,271 If we launch on the first day of the launch window 156 01:09:02,605 --> 01:09:05,541 or on the 24th, which is 157 01:09:06,542 --> 01:09:08,611 eastern time at 120, 158 01:09:09,445 --> 01:09:13,149 most of the launches are late at night, as always, just for the press. 159 01:09:13,782 --> 01:09:17,653 So, so we're launching our period is actually 160 01:09:17,786 --> 01:09:21,557 our launch period is actually pretty long for a planetary launch period. 161 01:09:21,590 --> 01:09:25,661 It's from the November 24th all the way to February 15th, 162 01:09:25,661 --> 01:09:27,796 so we could launch at any time during that time. 163 01:09:27,997 --> 01:09:31,734 We will spend ten months in cruise and we will get to 164 01:09:31,734 --> 01:09:35,604 Dimorphos, right, as Dimorphos is actually closest to Earth. 165 01:09:35,604 --> 01:09:37,106 So we could do the observations 166 01:09:37,106 --> 01:09:40,476 that Nancy just talked about using the ground based telescopes. 167 01:09:40,843 --> 01:09:45,881 And we can also do other things such as stream video back to Earth of our impact. 168 01:09:45,881 --> 01:09:47,616 And that's going to be pretty exciting. 169 01:09:47,616 --> 01:09:51,554 So over the ten months, we're going to do a lot of different tests 170 01:09:51,554 --> 01:09:55,024 using our telescope called Draco calibrated. 171 01:09:55,424 --> 01:09:57,459 Make sure that it all works. 172 01:09:57,459 --> 01:10:01,764 Also demonstrate some new technologies for NASA's, such as the next ion thruster, 173 01:10:02,031 --> 01:10:04,934 which are shown right here, a glowing blue and 174 01:10:05,301 --> 01:10:07,503 and also the rollout solar arrays, 175 01:10:08,070 --> 01:10:12,508 as we said, about ten days prior to arrival at Dimorphos. 176 01:10:12,575 --> 01:10:15,878 So we're going to let go of that LICIA Cube and LICIA Cube 177 01:10:15,878 --> 01:10:20,783 your cube is going to follow us in. Now about four hours in before we hit. 178 01:10:21,550 --> 01:10:24,653 We're going to turn on the smart nav technology, 179 01:10:24,653 --> 01:10:27,756 and that is one of our new technology that we're demonstrating pronouncer 180 01:10:27,957 --> 01:10:31,927 that actually allows us to guide ourselves into the asteroid 181 01:10:31,927 --> 01:10:37,066 because we don't see Dimorphos at all until about an hour in, 182 01:10:38,033 --> 01:10:42,304 at which point we will stop tracking 183 01:10:42,538 --> 01:10:46,242 Didymos, which is the larger asteroid, and we switch over to Dimorphos 184 01:10:46,842 --> 01:10:51,313 and it becomes, you know, it's just the little pixel in our camera. 185 01:10:51,680 --> 01:10:55,918 And the whole time the spacecraft does everything autonomously just follows in. 186 01:10:56,185 --> 01:10:59,054 And then we head and then that's it. 187 01:10:59,288 --> 01:11:00,089 That's dark. 188 01:11:00,089 --> 01:11:02,791 And then telescopes come 189 01:11:02,791 --> 01:11:07,129 and then we make impacts that are, tell us about that is Andy Cheng. 190 01:11:07,162 --> 01:11:09,832 What happens when we actually get to the asteroid? 191 01:11:11,233 --> 01:11:12,301 Yeah, thank you. 192 01:11:12,301 --> 01:11:16,171 the DART mission is about demonstrating deflection 193 01:11:16,171 --> 01:11:20,209 of an asteroid, changing its course and doing it by 194 01:11:20,409 --> 01:11:24,680 hitting it with the spacecraft so it has to hit the spacecraft. 195 01:11:24,847 --> 01:11:27,182 The Dart spacecraft has to hit the asteroid, 196 01:11:27,816 --> 01:11:30,886 then Dart has to measure the amount of deflection, 197 01:11:31,387 --> 01:11:36,859 and then we want to understand why that deflection came about, how it works. 198 01:11:37,393 --> 01:11:41,163 So it's all about measuring the momentum transfer. 199 01:11:41,630 --> 01:11:45,534 How much momentum do we put into the asteroid 200 01:11:45,868 --> 01:11:47,870 by hitting it with the Dart spacecraft? 201 01:11:48,470 --> 01:11:51,573 And if one day an asteroid is discovered 202 01:11:52,007 --> 01:11:54,076 on a collision course with Earth, 203 01:11:54,977 --> 01:11:57,212 then we have an idea of how big the asteroid is 204 01:11:57,212 --> 01:12:00,182 and how fast is coming and when it will hit that kind of information, 205 01:12:00,783 --> 01:12:03,686 then we will have an idea how much momentum 206 01:12:03,952 --> 01:12:07,823 we need to make that asteroid missed the Earth. 207 01:12:08,290 --> 01:12:11,794 And so if you want to do that with the kinetic impactor, we also need to know 208 01:12:12,661 --> 01:12:15,564 how much momentum does a kinetic impactor 209 01:12:16,532 --> 01:12:17,566 put into an asteroid. 210 01:12:17,566 --> 01:12:18,901 So that's what thermal. 211 01:12:18,901 --> 01:12:22,671 That's what Dart will tell us for the dart impact. 212 01:12:22,671 --> 01:12:24,740 And to do that, we're going to be measuring. 213 01:12:24,740 --> 01:12:29,812 In addition to the telescopic measurements of the orbit period change 214 01:12:30,713 --> 01:12:34,383 of the Didymos system, we're going to be measuring with the cameras 215 01:12:34,383 --> 01:12:38,153 as we come into the target where we hit. 216 01:12:38,620 --> 01:12:40,622 What are the impact conditions? 217 01:12:40,622 --> 01:12:43,659 So what kind of terrain is it sloping or their boulders nearby? 218 01:12:44,193 --> 01:12:46,395 What kind of terrain we hit? 219 01:12:46,395 --> 01:12:49,498 And then finally, we'll have like a cube. 220 01:12:50,499 --> 01:12:52,568 Take take pictures of the impact 221 01:12:52,568 --> 01:12:57,206 and to measure the impact ejecta so that cube is released by Dart. 222 01:12:57,573 --> 01:12:58,574 It's just a little guy. 223 01:12:58,574 --> 01:13:00,843 It's a briefcase size asteroid. 224 01:13:00,843 --> 01:13:04,747 It'll fly by the most on its own and then it will turn around 225 01:13:04,747 --> 01:13:08,050 and we'll take pictures of the dart impact of the ejecta. 226 01:13:09,184 --> 01:13:10,986 We need to do this because 227 01:13:10,986 --> 01:13:14,123 the dart impact at 15,000 miles 228 01:13:14,123 --> 01:13:17,259 per hour, that's going to blast tons of material, 229 01:13:17,259 --> 01:13:22,264 many tons of material off the more, maybe thousands of tons. 230 01:13:23,298 --> 01:13:25,334 And we need to know 231 01:13:25,334 --> 01:13:28,504 how much material there is, how fast it's going 232 01:13:29,571 --> 01:13:30,806 and where it's headed. 233 01:13:30,806 --> 01:13:35,677 So is that information together with the information from the dart cameras? 234 01:13:36,311 --> 01:13:38,781 Or where are we headed and what the impact conditions were? 235 01:13:39,214 --> 01:13:42,618 That's what we'll use to determine the momentum 236 01:13:42,618 --> 01:13:46,388 transfer from the dart impact. 237 01:13:46,989 --> 01:13:50,192 So it's your cube is just such an exciting mission. 238 01:13:50,559 --> 01:13:55,264 It's the first deep space mission for the Italian space agency. 239 01:13:55,664 --> 01:13:57,599 What a way to start a program. 240 01:13:57,599 --> 01:13:58,734 It's unbelievable. 241 01:13:58,734 --> 01:14:00,602 Really exciting. Thank you. 242 01:14:00,969 --> 01:14:02,171 Thank you so much. 243 01:14:02,171 --> 01:14:04,473 And now we will switch to taking questions. 244 01:14:04,773 --> 01:14:09,711 We will be inviting the media to ask questions on the line, 245 01:14:09,711 --> 01:14:14,716 and we are also taking our social media questions with hashtag Ask Nasser. 246 01:14:14,983 --> 01:14:18,687 So with that, I'm going to pass it over to our operator to tee 247 01:14:18,687 --> 01:14:19,721 up the first question. 248 01:14:20,823 --> 01:14:21,690 Thank you. 249 01:14:21,690 --> 01:14:24,560 Well, now begin the question and answer session, if you'd like to ask 250 01:14:24,593 --> 01:14:27,529 a question, please press star one on your phone and record your name 251 01:14:27,996 --> 01:14:31,800 with from which you may start again. 252 01:14:32,201 --> 01:14:34,570 Questions Please press our wondering about your name. 253 01:14:34,837 --> 01:14:35,571 We'll take a moment. 254 01:14:35,571 --> 01:14:38,073 But can you stand by? 255 01:14:38,540 --> 01:14:41,743 The first question comes from Gina Caesarea with ABC News. 256 01:14:41,844 --> 01:14:43,579 Your line is open. 257 01:14:44,146 --> 01:14:44,780 Thank you. 258 01:14:44,780 --> 01:14:47,883 So tell me why you did an app that. 259 01:14:49,985 --> 01:14:53,755 So I want to repeat that it wasn't completely clear on our side 260 01:14:53,755 --> 01:14:57,392 was the question why you didn't pick an asteroid that was headed towards Earth? 261 01:14:58,994 --> 01:14:59,695 Correct. 262 01:14:59,695 --> 01:15:01,129 The question, thank you. Great. 263 01:15:01,129 --> 01:15:03,465 I think that might be a lonely question. 264 01:15:03,465 --> 01:15:03,866 Sure. 265 01:15:03,866 --> 01:15:04,433 I take that. 266 01:15:04,433 --> 01:15:09,471 Well, we don't have an asteroid of that size thankfully headed toward Earth. 267 01:15:10,772 --> 01:15:13,041 This is a test. 268 01:15:13,275 --> 01:15:17,713 Nature has given us a set up where we have an asteroid 269 01:15:17,880 --> 01:15:20,682 binary asteroid that's approaching close to Earth 270 01:15:21,483 --> 01:15:24,686 so that we can observe from Earth based observatories. 271 01:15:25,254 --> 01:15:27,022 But this is a test. 272 01:15:27,022 --> 01:15:30,125 We don't want to be 273 01:15:30,125 --> 01:15:33,028 in a situation where an asteroid is headed toward Earth 274 01:15:33,495 --> 01:15:36,164 and then have to be testing this kind of capability. 275 01:15:36,164 --> 01:15:37,833 We want to know 276 01:15:38,333 --> 01:15:41,169 about both how the spacecraft works 277 01:15:41,169 --> 01:15:45,073 and what the reaction will be by the asteroid, to the impact 278 01:15:45,240 --> 01:15:49,111 before we ever get in a situation like that. 279 01:15:49,111 --> 01:15:50,112 Thank you so much. 280 01:15:50,112 --> 01:15:53,749 We will go to the second question, please. 281 01:15:53,749 --> 01:15:56,685 The next question comes from Jordan Mendoza with today 282 01:15:56,752 --> 01:15:57,185 when. 283 01:16:01,823 --> 01:16:03,258 Look, can you hear me? 284 01:16:03,258 --> 01:16:05,294 Yes, we can. OK. 285 01:16:06,061 --> 01:16:10,198 So you guys said that there's no real asteroid hitting 286 01:16:10,799 --> 01:16:14,069 if if there is no, I would tell you that 287 01:16:14,803 --> 01:16:17,372 we quite and know what 288 01:16:19,975 --> 01:16:21,577 again, I'm going to repeat it 289 01:16:21,577 --> 01:16:25,881 and make sure we got it, OK, which is that if there is no current threat to Earth, 290 01:16:26,481 --> 01:16:29,251 I believe the question was why are we doing tests like this? 291 01:16:30,352 --> 01:16:30,953 So that correct? 292 01:16:30,953 --> 01:16:32,387 And then if they're OK 293 01:16:32,387 --> 01:16:36,024 and if there's any plan to do that once more with any other asteroid, 294 01:16:36,558 --> 01:16:39,328 great that when we could hear thank you so much, the Lindley again. 295 01:16:41,697 --> 01:16:42,064 Yeah. 296 01:16:42,064 --> 01:16:46,201 Well, although there isn't a currently known asteroid 297 01:16:46,201 --> 01:16:50,939 that's on a impact course with the Earth, we do 298 01:16:50,939 --> 01:16:54,476 know that there is a large population of near-Earth asteroids out there. 299 01:16:54,509 --> 01:16:57,646 In fact, we have over 27,000 near-Earth 300 01:16:57,646 --> 01:17:00,782 asteroids in our catalog now of all sizes. 301 01:17:01,516 --> 01:17:04,353 The key to planetary defense is finding them 302 01:17:04,886 --> 01:17:07,689 well before they are an impact threat. 303 01:17:07,889 --> 01:17:11,526 So we map out their orbits and where they're going and know 304 01:17:11,526 --> 01:17:15,664 where in time they could be an impact threat to the Earth. 305 01:17:15,664 --> 01:17:18,800 We can predict an impact threat to the Earth 306 01:17:18,967 --> 01:17:22,137 if we know about the asteroid and have tracked it 307 01:17:22,838 --> 01:17:28,310 decades in advance or know that day that it could impact the Earth 308 01:17:28,510 --> 01:17:31,446 out into the future as much as 100 years into the future. 309 01:17:31,446 --> 01:17:34,549 So that's really the key of planetary defense. 310 01:17:35,684 --> 01:17:36,151 And the 311 01:17:36,151 --> 01:17:39,287 question we're going to test this on other asteroids. 312 01:17:39,321 --> 01:17:41,089 Yeah, well, we're going to 313 01:17:41,223 --> 01:17:45,594 plan to do future test, but we might be testing other techniques 314 01:17:45,594 --> 01:17:49,064 or other ways to possibly deflect an asteroid. 315 01:17:49,297 --> 01:17:52,501 The principal with all of them is just to change 316 01:17:52,501 --> 01:17:55,003 the speed, the orbital speed of the asteroid, just 317 01:17:56,138 --> 01:17:59,841 just a small amount and nudges, as Nancy said, 318 01:18:00,742 --> 01:18:03,011 and changing that speed 319 01:18:03,478 --> 01:18:06,481 of the asteroid in its orbit that changes its orbit. 320 01:18:06,481 --> 01:18:10,052 And so in the future, it won't be in the same place. 321 01:18:10,285 --> 01:18:12,854 It was going to be in impact. 322 01:18:12,854 --> 01:18:15,323 The Earth, it will be a mess. 323 01:18:16,224 --> 01:18:16,758 Thank you. 324 01:18:16,758 --> 01:18:18,994 I'm going back to the operator for our next question, please. 325 01:18:21,129 --> 01:18:24,733 Thank you, our next question comes from Michael Greco with National Geographic. 326 01:18:24,766 --> 01:18:25,701 Your line is open. 327 01:18:27,869 --> 01:18:28,403 All right. 328 01:18:28,403 --> 01:18:29,838 So much for doing that. 329 01:18:29,838 --> 01:18:34,309 Um, my question is for Andy and Nancy. 330 01:18:34,643 --> 01:18:39,114 And you mentioned that dark is alter the orbital period 331 01:18:40,115 --> 01:18:42,517 of time by about ten minutes. 332 01:18:43,251 --> 01:18:46,021 Um, what is the minimum change 333 01:18:46,421 --> 01:18:50,158 to dimorphism this orbit that would be considered except for Dart? 334 01:18:50,525 --> 01:18:53,195 And what are the biggest sources of uncertainty 335 01:18:54,229 --> 01:18:56,898 that go into that estimate? 336 01:18:58,700 --> 01:19:00,335 Let's start with Nancy. 337 01:19:00,969 --> 01:19:04,706 Yeah, I can answer that one because we actually have that specific requirement. 338 01:19:04,740 --> 01:19:06,308 It is 73 seconds. 339 01:19:06,308 --> 01:19:09,511 So we are going to change it by at least 73 seconds. 340 01:19:09,511 --> 01:19:12,714 We are all the models show that it'll be much more than that. 341 01:19:13,081 --> 01:19:16,785 Some of the most uncertainty and we know this from previous missions 342 01:19:16,785 --> 01:19:19,821 that have been to asteroids is asteroids are complicated. 343 01:19:20,055 --> 01:19:20,989 They look different. 344 01:19:20,989 --> 01:19:22,124 They've got boulders. 345 01:19:22,124 --> 01:19:24,392 They've got rocky parts. They've got smooth parts. 346 01:19:24,626 --> 01:19:26,161 They've got weird shapes. 347 01:19:26,161 --> 01:19:28,263 All sorts of things are going on there. 348 01:19:28,263 --> 01:19:32,100 And so how exactly the Dart spacecraft interacts with a real 349 01:19:32,100 --> 01:19:36,104 asteroid of this size and where it hits is one of the main factors 350 01:19:36,104 --> 01:19:38,974 for those models and also how that asteroids put together. 351 01:19:38,974 --> 01:19:41,409 We know a lot of asteroids are maybe like rubble piles. 352 01:19:41,409 --> 01:19:43,278 They're kind of things kind of put together. 353 01:19:43,278 --> 01:19:46,548 So how dense and how closely packed are these materials 354 01:19:46,548 --> 01:19:50,485 or how how distributed are they can also really contribute? 355 01:19:50,519 --> 01:19:54,322 So it's really doing this real world test on a real asteroid 356 01:19:54,322 --> 01:19:55,690 is why we need to do dart. 357 01:19:57,526 --> 01:19:57,959 So a key 358 01:19:57,959 --> 01:20:02,731 parameter there is how strong the asteroid is that will determine how much ejecta 359 01:20:02,731 --> 01:20:06,535 you produce and also so basically what is the reaction to being hit by Dart? 360 01:20:08,069 --> 01:20:11,139 Operator, I'm going back to you for the next question. 361 01:20:11,139 --> 01:20:14,609 Thank you, our next question comes from Paul Gross with WDIV. 362 01:20:15,177 --> 01:20:16,978 Your line is open. 363 01:20:17,813 --> 01:20:19,381 Yeah, thanks very much for doing this. 364 01:20:19,548 --> 01:20:24,719 Could you talk more about the ion propulsion engine, why is that so special? 365 01:20:24,719 --> 01:20:25,720 Because that's going to get 366 01:20:25,720 --> 01:20:29,191 the spacecraft to the asteroid and I understand that new technology. 367 01:20:30,058 --> 01:20:32,160 Thank you. I think that is an Elena question. 368 01:20:32,160 --> 01:20:34,095 Yeah, it is an Elena questions. 369 01:20:34,095 --> 01:20:39,100 So the own propulsion engine, we're just demonstrating for NASA, 370 01:20:39,301 --> 01:20:43,738 it is not actually our means of propulsion to the asteroid. 371 01:20:43,738 --> 01:20:48,043 What we're going to do is we're going to use the typical hydrazine thrusters. 372 01:20:48,043 --> 01:20:49,244 They're one Newton thrusters. 373 01:20:49,244 --> 01:20:51,746 We have twelve of them scattered around the spacecraft 374 01:20:52,247 --> 01:20:55,750 and we're going to use those to perform most of our trajectory. 375 01:20:55,750 --> 01:21:01,156 Correction maneuvers of the EP thruster, the electric propulsion thruster. 376 01:21:01,389 --> 01:21:05,160 We're going to turn on a couple of times during cruise 377 01:21:05,460 --> 01:21:09,598 and we're going to just basically demonstrate that we can operate it 378 01:21:10,232 --> 01:21:13,034 in space because part of the wonders 379 01:21:13,034 --> 01:21:17,205 of new technology is just that step from when you build it up 380 01:21:17,205 --> 01:21:20,308 to getting into space and getting it to operate for the first time. 381 01:21:20,909 --> 01:21:22,611 So that's what we're demonstrating for NASA. 382 01:21:24,179 --> 01:21:24,512 Thank you. 383 01:21:24,512 --> 01:21:29,618 We will have that social media question now, Jason, for a check from Twitter asks 384 01:21:29,918 --> 01:21:32,654 what factors were in consideration 385 01:21:32,654 --> 01:21:35,824 when choosing Dimorphos as the target for the first Dart mission? 386 01:21:36,057 --> 01:21:38,827 And were there other asteroids that were potential candidates? 387 01:21:41,162 --> 01:21:42,998 I mean, Nancy and then Lindley, 388 01:21:42,998 --> 01:21:46,067 if you want to weigh into anything. I think it's Andy and me. 389 01:21:46,134 --> 01:21:47,102 Oh, right, OK. 390 01:21:47,102 --> 01:21:50,505 Yeah. OK. 391 01:21:51,640 --> 01:21:56,578 The Dimorphos and Didymos was always our best target. 392 01:21:56,745 --> 01:22:00,181 The reasons being this binary system is such 393 01:22:00,515 --> 01:22:03,084 that the 394 01:22:03,184 --> 01:22:06,454 this binary system is such that the two bodies are eclipsing, 395 01:22:06,454 --> 01:22:10,425 which means that they move in front of each other as seen from Earth. 396 01:22:10,692 --> 01:22:14,529 And that's what makes it very easy to measure the orbit period and also 397 01:22:14,529 --> 01:22:18,700 a small change in the orbit period that would be caused by the dart impact. 398 01:22:19,067 --> 01:22:25,206 And there are we, we both we and also our collaborators in Europe. 399 01:22:25,206 --> 01:22:28,810 We spent years looking for other possible 400 01:22:29,144 --> 01:22:31,346 targets to do this mission. 401 01:22:32,013 --> 01:22:32,614 This type of 402 01:22:33,782 --> 01:22:35,350 demonstration? 403 01:22:35,350 --> 01:22:35,617 Yeah. 404 01:22:35,617 --> 01:22:39,287 So the binary system changing over a period and there really is 405 01:22:39,287 --> 01:22:42,691 not another good target anywhere near as good as the Morpheus. 406 01:22:43,124 --> 01:22:46,127 So and and dynamos, because of how close it is, 407 01:22:46,361 --> 01:22:48,663 how readily observable, how long has been observed 408 01:22:48,663 --> 01:22:52,267 also in the past all of these reasons, that's why demographers did about this. 409 01:22:52,767 --> 01:22:54,302 But that started. 410 01:22:54,302 --> 01:22:54,636 Yeah. 411 01:22:54,636 --> 01:23:00,008 And just to add to Andy's point, also, we the other thing we've really considered 412 01:23:00,008 --> 01:23:04,946 is that a this asteroid has to be fairly close to Earth at its point, 413 01:23:04,946 --> 01:23:08,216 so we can stream data back to Earth before we hit. 414 01:23:08,650 --> 01:23:12,687 And the other piece of the information that went in was that when we approach it, 415 01:23:12,687 --> 01:23:16,124 it has to be at such an angle that it gets lit by the Sun 416 01:23:16,124 --> 01:23:18,460 because we won't see if it's the asteroids really dark. 417 01:23:18,460 --> 01:23:22,430 We won't be able to see it and won't be able to hit using smart navigation. 418 01:23:24,899 --> 01:23:25,266 Thank you. 419 01:23:25,266 --> 01:23:25,700 We're going to go 420 01:23:25,700 --> 01:23:28,703 back to our media questions now, so, operator, I'm talking to you. 421 01:23:29,971 --> 01:23:30,805 Thank you. 422 01:23:30,805 --> 01:23:33,708 The next question comes from Megan Bartels of Space.com. 423 01:23:33,742 --> 01:23:35,610 Your line is open. 424 01:23:35,643 --> 01:23:36,177 Hey, there. 425 01:23:36,177 --> 01:23:38,480 Thanks so much for taking my question. 426 01:23:38,480 --> 01:23:41,049 I have a couple of very short questions. 427 01:23:41,583 --> 01:23:43,852 Um, one is the final mission price. 428 01:23:43,852 --> 01:23:48,590 one is the launch window is instantaneous for a certain period. 429 01:23:48,623 --> 01:23:49,457 How long? 430 01:23:49,457 --> 01:23:52,560 And then the other is if there are any post-launch milestones 431 01:23:52,627 --> 01:23:54,929 that we should be looking out for before. Yes. 432 01:23:55,163 --> 01:23:56,631 Right? Yes. 433 01:23:56,631 --> 01:23:58,299 Thank you. 434 01:23:58,800 --> 01:24:00,635 Well, I'll take the first question. 435 01:24:00,635 --> 01:24:03,471 The total mission price 436 01:24:03,471 --> 01:24:05,573 cost the lifecycle cost 437 01:24:05,807 --> 01:24:08,676 for this mission dart mission from the time 438 01:24:09,144 --> 01:24:12,580 it went into its formulation, 439 01:24:13,114 --> 01:24:15,116 you know, concept development formulation 440 01:24:15,617 --> 01:24:19,421 through the launch and launch vehicle, 441 01:24:19,921 --> 01:24:22,624 the almost year of operations 442 01:24:22,624 --> 01:24:26,961 and then the following year of of observations 443 01:24:27,395 --> 01:24:31,900 and analysis of the data, which won't be until 2023. 444 01:24:32,901 --> 01:24:35,703 The total lifecycle cost is of 330 million. 445 01:24:38,106 --> 01:24:41,643 The if you remind me of the second question, 446 01:24:41,709 --> 01:24:45,547 yeah, Megan, grab those to make sure do you want to repeat it or you? 447 01:24:45,980 --> 01:24:50,318 So the second question, I believe, was they said an instantaneous launch window. 448 01:24:50,485 --> 01:24:51,519 And the answer is yes. 449 01:24:51,519 --> 01:24:53,755 Every day we have one opportunity to launch. 450 01:24:53,755 --> 01:24:55,390 If we go in that second, we go. 451 01:24:55,390 --> 01:24:58,526 If we don't, we go next day at the same time and we do that 452 01:24:58,526 --> 01:25:01,629 for up to 84 times if we really wanted to. 453 01:25:01,629 --> 01:25:05,233 I hope we go in the first one and then I believe the second question 454 01:25:05,233 --> 01:25:08,470 is other other milestones we should look for after 455 01:25:09,504 --> 01:25:10,839 after launch. 456 01:25:10,839 --> 01:25:12,474 And there are a couple of things. 457 01:25:12,474 --> 01:25:14,776 The first 30 days of the commissioning period, 458 01:25:15,410 --> 01:25:20,381 there were going to be firing up our next engine about 20 days into it. 459 01:25:20,682 --> 01:25:23,685 So I think that that would be one of the milestones 460 01:25:23,685 --> 01:25:28,022 that we're going to open the Draco doors, which is our instrument. 461 01:25:28,556 --> 01:25:31,593 We're going to open the door and take the first pictures 462 01:25:31,593 --> 01:25:32,961 about eight days in and then, of course, 463 01:25:32,961 --> 01:25:34,429 about eight days in and then, of course, 464 01:25:34,429 --> 01:25:35,830 a 30 days before we hit. 465 01:25:35,830 --> 01:25:36,831 a 30 days before we hit. 466 01:25:37,065 --> 01:25:39,200 We will see Didymos for the first time. 467 01:25:39,367 --> 01:25:42,937 So these are the just the variety of milestones that we're going 468 01:25:42,937 --> 01:25:44,072 to experience along the way. 469 01:25:44,639 --> 01:25:45,006 Thanks. 470 01:25:45,006 --> 01:25:46,641 We are ready for the next question. 471 01:25:46,908 --> 01:25:49,077 Thank you, are not question comes from Mike Parrow 472 01:25:49,077 --> 01:25:51,312 with Aviation Week and space technology. 473 01:25:52,113 --> 01:25:53,915 Your line is open. 474 01:25:53,915 --> 01:25:54,315 Thank you. 475 01:25:54,315 --> 01:25:59,787 You may have answered this, but I just wondered how long the observations 476 01:25:59,787 --> 01:26:02,790 post impact will continue to give you 477 01:26:03,625 --> 01:26:06,728 the database you're looking for. 478 01:26:07,262 --> 01:26:10,598 Andy, please, you know, the observations would continue 479 01:26:10,598 --> 01:26:13,935 into the early spring of 2023, 480 01:26:13,935 --> 01:26:16,137 so February March. 481 01:26:17,272 --> 01:26:19,440 This is a telescopic observations 482 01:26:19,440 --> 01:26:21,576 of the Didymos system. 483 01:26:22,644 --> 01:26:23,311 Great, thank you. 484 01:26:23,311 --> 01:26:26,381 We can move on to the next question. 485 01:26:27,048 --> 01:26:28,016 The next question 486 01:26:28,016 --> 01:26:30,919 from Marcia Smith, the space policy online icon. 487 01:26:31,186 --> 01:26:32,754 Your line is open. 488 01:26:33,254 --> 01:26:36,024 Like much, I was wondering in the previous 489 01:26:36,024 --> 01:26:39,627 discussion, you were talking about how different rates are from each other 490 01:26:39,961 --> 01:26:44,332 and of course, the very unique spacecraft, when you're taking that measurement 491 01:26:44,432 --> 01:26:48,503 momentum transfer, it is like a very big data. 492 01:26:49,304 --> 01:26:53,741 And I'm wondering extensible, it's going to be to the universe asteroids. 493 01:26:54,175 --> 01:26:55,310 And is this 494 01:26:55,310 --> 01:26:59,547 one of the more common type vast areas that might be headed towards Earth? 495 01:26:59,547 --> 01:27:03,651 Or how much is this really going to help everybody 496 01:27:04,619 --> 01:27:06,688 deflect asteroids in the future? 497 01:27:06,688 --> 01:27:10,525 It seems like it's just one data point from one spacecraft, 498 01:27:10,525 --> 01:27:12,827 which is one very unique asteroid. 499 01:27:15,330 --> 01:27:17,932 Is that a Nancy question, I think it might be. 500 01:27:18,333 --> 01:27:18,967 All right. 501 01:27:21,035 --> 01:27:23,004 So what we do know about the dinner 502 01:27:23,004 --> 01:27:27,942 most amorphous system is from spectral observations of telescopes of dynamos. 503 01:27:28,109 --> 01:27:32,247 And it actually is an asteroid type that is the most common type of asteroid 504 01:27:32,447 --> 01:27:35,083 out there in the near-Earth object population. 505 01:27:35,283 --> 01:27:37,118 It's like ordinary conjugate meteorites. 506 01:27:37,118 --> 01:27:39,187 We have samples that we've looked at here in the lab, 507 01:27:39,454 --> 01:27:42,657 and it's a fine grained mixtures of rock and metal. 508 01:27:42,657 --> 01:27:45,593 Together, it's actually 4.5 billion years old. 509 01:27:45,593 --> 01:27:47,128 It formed before the planets formed. 510 01:27:47,128 --> 01:27:49,130 It's like the leftovers of planet formation. 511 01:27:49,330 --> 01:27:52,667 So that actually makes this asteroid system a really good test 512 01:27:52,934 --> 01:27:54,402 in order to do this as well. 513 01:27:54,402 --> 01:27:57,605 Every asteroid is going to be a little different, just like rocks 514 01:27:57,605 --> 01:28:01,643 are a little different, but they share a lot of common characteristics as well. 515 01:28:01,643 --> 01:28:04,846 So when we do this test on this common type of asteroid, 516 01:28:05,079 --> 01:28:08,883 then it will be applicable to understanding these larger populations. 517 01:28:08,883 --> 01:28:12,553 And really, it's important to take this first step in order to do this 518 01:28:12,553 --> 01:28:15,690 first test so that we can develop capabilities going forward. 519 01:28:16,057 --> 01:28:17,725 If I can add to that for 520 01:28:17,725 --> 01:28:20,728 just a second, the size of the moon Dimorphos 521 01:28:21,262 --> 01:28:25,166 hundred and 60 meters, and the smaller the asteroid is, 522 01:28:25,166 --> 01:28:29,504 the more frequently it could be a impact threat to the Earth. 523 01:28:29,971 --> 01:28:33,541 You know, there's many more smaller ones out there than there are large ones. 524 01:28:34,208 --> 01:28:36,678 So testing against such a small 525 01:28:36,678 --> 01:28:39,180 body is a challenge 526 01:28:40,014 --> 01:28:44,719 with the smart nav and hitting that smaller target that far away in space. 527 01:28:44,719 --> 01:28:47,255 So it's a it's a good test from that standpoint as well. 528 01:28:50,058 --> 01:28:50,458 All right, 529 01:28:50,458 --> 01:28:54,028 we will go on to the next question, please. 530 01:28:54,128 --> 01:28:56,030 The next question comes from Devon, 531 01:28:56,030 --> 01:28:58,533 cold away with Tech Crunch, your line is open. 532 01:29:00,268 --> 01:29:00,835 Hi there. 533 01:29:00,835 --> 01:29:02,303 Thanks for taking the questions. 534 01:29:02,303 --> 01:29:05,006 I realize the data for this is meant to come out of this mission, 535 01:29:05,006 --> 01:29:09,010 but do you believe there's some kind of Goldilocks zone 536 01:29:09,010 --> 01:29:12,847 for intercepting incoming asteroids where it's close enough? 537 01:29:12,880 --> 01:29:15,817 You can be sure we can predict its motion and hit it far enough 538 01:29:15,817 --> 01:29:19,821 that minimal impact you can make is enough to deflect sufficiently. 539 01:29:22,990 --> 01:29:23,925 Well, maybe our start 540 01:29:23,925 --> 01:29:26,661 and maybe Andy will want to 541 01:29:27,695 --> 01:29:29,997 chime in at the right time 542 01:29:29,997 --> 01:29:33,601 to deflect an asteroid is as far away from space, 543 01:29:33,868 --> 01:29:36,037 far away from the Earth as we can, 544 01:29:36,771 --> 01:29:39,240 you know, as I mentioned earlier on. 545 01:29:39,640 --> 01:29:43,845 The strategy is to find these objects not only years but decades 546 01:29:44,178 --> 01:29:46,681 before they're any kind of an impact hazard to the Earth. 547 01:29:47,582 --> 01:29:51,753 So we have time to characterize them first to know 548 01:29:52,019 --> 01:29:55,456 where they're going to be headed, know what their size and composition is, 549 01:29:56,257 --> 01:30:00,395 and know what would be the most effective method to then change its orbit. 550 01:30:00,995 --> 01:30:04,866 But once we know that and have confirmed that it really is 551 01:30:04,866 --> 01:30:08,770 an impact threat, you know then is the time we want to take it. 552 01:30:08,770 --> 01:30:13,474 Because the further away in space it is years 553 01:30:13,674 --> 01:30:18,279 before the impact, the less force it takes to change the orbit enough 554 01:30:18,279 --> 01:30:19,814 that it will be a mess instead of a hit. All. 555 01:30:22,316 --> 01:30:24,352 All right. 556 01:30:24,385 --> 01:30:27,488 We will move on to another social media question now 557 01:30:27,989 --> 01:30:31,859 recovered on Twitter asks, given that the gravity fields for did 558 01:30:31,859 --> 01:30:36,697 Didymos and Dimorphos affect and are affected by each other's fields? 559 01:30:36,931 --> 01:30:40,435 What post amorphous impact predictions are there, if any, 560 01:30:40,601 --> 01:30:42,737 for changes in the orbit for Didymos? 561 01:30:44,172 --> 01:30:45,606 Andy, please? 562 01:30:45,840 --> 01:30:46,374 Yeah. 563 01:30:47,175 --> 01:30:52,046 OK, so it is correct that that Dimporphos and Didymos 564 01:30:52,046 --> 01:30:55,216 are gravitationally bound to each other, so they're orbiting each other. 565 01:30:55,483 --> 01:30:58,786 And so that when it hits Dimorphos and changes 566 01:30:58,786 --> 01:31:02,089 its motion, there's also going to be a tug on the remote. 567 01:31:02,089 --> 01:31:03,357 So the whole system 568 01:31:03,357 --> 01:31:08,062 will have its heliocentric orbit change, but only by a tiny amount. 569 01:31:08,396 --> 01:31:12,133 That's because Morpheus is so tiny compared to did determines 570 01:31:12,433 --> 01:31:13,901 the change in the Dynamo. 571 01:31:13,901 --> 01:31:18,406 This orbit, in fact, is we've studied this and analyzed that 572 01:31:19,373 --> 01:31:19,874 it's so 573 01:31:19,874 --> 01:31:22,643 small that in fact it could not be measured easily 574 01:31:22,910 --> 01:31:26,447 and it is much less even than our. 575 01:31:26,881 --> 01:31:30,518 Even our knowledge of where to the most is the current knowledge of where it is 576 01:31:30,518 --> 01:31:32,553 most. This is actually much 577 01:31:33,888 --> 01:31:39,393 coarser than the expected change, even under the most optimistic assumptions. 578 01:31:39,627 --> 01:31:42,630 The change in the orbit that would be caused by the dart impact, 579 01:31:42,630 --> 01:31:43,965 it's just too tired to be measured. 580 01:31:43,965 --> 01:31:46,200 So it's a very safe experiment. 581 01:31:47,969 --> 01:31:49,570 Thank you so much. 582 01:31:49,570 --> 01:31:51,405 We will move back to the media. 583 01:31:51,405 --> 01:31:53,508 So, operator, I'm passing to you for the next question. 584 01:31:54,842 --> 01:31:55,643 Thank you. 585 01:31:55,643 --> 01:31:58,479 The next question comes from remains get out with Wired magazine. 586 01:31:58,513 --> 01:32:00,248 Your line is open. 587 01:32:01,349 --> 01:32:02,617 Hi, thank you. 588 01:32:02,617 --> 01:32:04,285 I just wanted to add. 589 01:32:04,285 --> 01:32:05,286 How did you? 590 01:32:05,319 --> 01:32:08,656 Can you explain what angle will hit the Moon? 591 01:32:08,656 --> 01:32:13,127 What like is it going to be parallel with a particular event and what? 592 01:32:13,494 --> 01:32:15,897 Why do you want to get in a accurate? 593 01:32:19,767 --> 01:32:21,736 Let me go to Elena. 594 01:32:24,539 --> 01:32:27,174 So, you know, it is a good question, 595 01:32:27,575 --> 01:32:30,478 but it is a funny question because we can't really predict 596 01:32:30,478 --> 01:32:34,315 the angle of impact on to do more for us that well, we know where, 597 01:32:34,649 --> 01:32:37,818 how are we going to hit in the trajectory right where we're hitting it head on? 598 01:32:38,619 --> 01:32:41,489 And we know where the Sun is going to be at the time. 599 01:32:41,489 --> 01:32:45,593 But the problem is that we cannot predict whether there's going to be a boulder 600 01:32:45,593 --> 01:32:46,093 or something. 601 01:32:46,093 --> 01:32:50,398 So our impact angle on plane off 602 01:32:51,399 --> 01:32:56,337 Dimorphos is really uncertain right now, and it's really going to depend on 603 01:32:56,337 --> 01:32:59,674 what demographers actually looks like, and we're not going to find that out 604 01:32:59,674 --> 01:33:00,942 until the last. 605 01:33:00,942 --> 01:33:05,479 Well, let's let's be honest, last 20 seconds when we're about to hit. 606 01:33:06,380 --> 01:33:10,217 So we have done a lot of simulations on the ground 607 01:33:10,918 --> 01:33:14,221 showing, you know, looking at all different angles of impact 608 01:33:14,488 --> 01:33:19,193 to make sure that we can still transfer enough momentum into the body of dwarfs 609 01:33:19,193 --> 01:33:23,130 and still are able to exact the change of at least 73 seconds. 610 01:33:23,297 --> 01:33:25,533 And the answer is that our lowest numbers come back. 611 01:33:25,533 --> 01:33:28,502 Something like three minutes, three to ten minutes is a range 612 01:33:29,070 --> 01:33:31,973 and we're looking across all the different angles. So 613 01:33:32,506 --> 01:33:35,009 and I guess I'll just add to that too. 614 01:33:35,042 --> 01:33:38,079 We are purposely targeting the Moon as it comes out 615 01:33:38,079 --> 01:33:41,115 from behind the other one to hit it as head on as possible. 616 01:33:41,248 --> 01:33:43,517 And this is going to give you the biggest deflection, right? 617 01:33:43,517 --> 01:33:46,621 And it's about 17 degrees out of the orbital debris, 618 01:33:46,654 --> 01:33:48,422 the orbital plane that it's coming in. 619 01:33:48,422 --> 01:33:51,559 So the local geometry, exactly like Lena was just saying, is, 620 01:33:51,759 --> 01:33:54,095 you know, it's going to be a big factor and then we have to do this. 621 01:33:54,095 --> 01:33:57,431 But we are targeting to be as nearly head on as possible 622 01:33:57,431 --> 01:34:00,968 because the biggest deflection in the system and nearly as center 623 01:34:00,968 --> 01:34:04,038 as possible, as well as possible using smart nav. 624 01:34:04,171 --> 01:34:05,940 Exactly. It's going to be great. Yeah. 625 01:34:05,940 --> 01:34:08,709 But it's going to depend on the lightning of the Moon as well. 626 01:34:08,809 --> 01:34:09,076 Yeah, 627 01:34:10,077 --> 01:34:10,878 it's a good question. 628 01:34:10,878 --> 01:34:11,679 Thank you. 629 01:34:12,546 --> 01:34:15,249 The other thing is also when you hit in that geometry, 630 01:34:15,249 --> 01:34:17,985 the two moons are separated by about as much as possible. 631 01:34:20,554 --> 01:34:21,656 All right. 632 01:34:21,656 --> 01:34:23,824 Back to the media for our next question, please. 633 01:34:25,226 --> 01:34:25,960 Thank you. 634 01:34:25,960 --> 01:34:28,162 As a reminder, if you'd like to ask a question, please 635 01:34:28,162 --> 01:34:30,765 press star one and record your name when prompted. 636 01:34:31,232 --> 01:34:34,702 The next question comes from Morgan Mick Paul Johnson with Insider. 637 01:34:34,735 --> 01:34:36,604 Your line is open. 638 01:34:37,772 --> 01:34:39,440 All right, thanks so much. 639 01:34:39,440 --> 01:34:43,244 Can you just talk about strategy once dirt is over, 640 01:34:43,244 --> 01:34:46,280 how do you get to the point where you're prepared to effectively use this 641 01:34:46,280 --> 01:34:49,250 method on an actual has been asteroid? 642 01:34:49,617 --> 01:34:53,087 You need to follow up and doing a mission like this one eventually. 643 01:34:54,555 --> 01:34:58,759 And as a follow up is the kind of thing where you build a dart like this craft 644 01:34:58,759 --> 01:35:02,363 and have it on standby, or do you have to build a spacecraft 645 01:35:02,830 --> 01:35:05,332 once you discover a particular hazardous asteroid? 646 01:35:05,666 --> 01:35:10,371 And how long do you think that would make you past a Lindley? 647 01:35:11,005 --> 01:35:12,540 Yeah, I'll take that. 648 01:35:12,540 --> 01:35:18,713 Well, this test is to demonstrate that this technology is mature enough 649 01:35:19,747 --> 01:35:21,415 so that it would be ready 650 01:35:21,415 --> 01:35:24,185 if a actual 651 01:35:25,453 --> 01:35:28,089 asteroid impact threat was discovered. 652 01:35:28,089 --> 01:35:31,459 So after this mission, and we've we've analyzed it. 653 01:35:32,693 --> 01:35:36,831 Assuming we don't have any major surprises, of course we 654 01:35:36,897 --> 01:35:40,801 we think that this technique would be 655 01:35:40,801 --> 01:35:43,637 then available would be a part of the toolbox 656 01:35:43,871 --> 01:35:47,842 that we're starting to build of capabilities 657 01:35:48,109 --> 01:35:53,380 to deflect an asteroid and studying all the different kinds of scenarios. 658 01:35:53,380 --> 01:35:56,617 We could be faced with the orbits 659 01:35:56,751 --> 01:35:58,886 of these bodies, the time 660 01:36:00,387 --> 01:36:03,624 that they could be discovered ahead of the impact, 661 01:36:03,858 --> 01:36:06,527 the velocities that they may have. 662 01:36:08,696 --> 01:36:12,566 We know that we need a toolbox that capabilities know one technique, 663 01:36:13,033 --> 01:36:17,738 you know, just kinetic impactor may not be applicable in all the situations. 664 01:36:17,738 --> 01:36:20,708 So after we do this test for kinetic impactor, 665 01:36:21,342 --> 01:36:24,578 we're one or two test of other techniques like gravity tractor, 666 01:36:24,578 --> 01:36:28,883 for instance, Gravity Tractor is just decent people for spacecraft 667 01:36:30,251 --> 01:36:30,718 off to the 668 01:36:30,718 --> 01:36:34,054 side of an asteroid, and nature's tug rope 669 01:36:34,755 --> 01:36:37,825 gravity will slowly pull 670 01:36:37,825 --> 01:36:42,096 that asteroid off that the impending trajectory. 671 01:36:43,297 --> 01:36:45,499 Other techniques, ion beam, 672 01:36:48,102 --> 01:36:50,271 laser ablation. 673 01:36:50,271 --> 01:36:53,808 And there are a number of good ideas out there 674 01:36:54,642 --> 01:36:58,646 that we would want to look into subsequent to Dart. 675 01:36:58,646 --> 01:37:03,284 But the message is that our strategy is to have a toolbox 676 01:37:03,284 --> 01:37:05,619 of several different techniques. 677 01:37:06,720 --> 01:37:07,755 After 678 01:37:08,756 --> 01:37:10,424 a, you know, many years 679 01:37:10,424 --> 01:37:13,260 of testing different things, you know, luckily 680 01:37:14,395 --> 01:37:16,630 asteroid impacts don't happen all that often. 681 01:37:17,898 --> 01:37:20,601 And so we're think we're have time 682 01:37:20,601 --> 01:37:24,772 to do these kinds of things, and we never know what the technology 683 01:37:25,039 --> 01:37:27,374 may be in the future 684 01:37:27,775 --> 01:37:31,645 when we are actually faced with an asteroid impact 685 01:37:31,645 --> 01:37:35,416 that we might have tractor beams and other 686 01:37:36,717 --> 01:37:40,421 types of technology that would be more appropriate at that time. 687 01:37:40,454 --> 01:37:41,789 This is just a start. 688 01:37:43,757 --> 01:37:46,627 And when can I jump in and just say a couple of things? 689 01:37:46,627 --> 01:37:50,831 Also, because Dart is demonstrating some of the other technologies, things 690 01:37:50,831 --> 01:37:54,068 like the next T ion engine, for example, is a good way 691 01:37:54,068 --> 01:37:56,937 of getting to a variety of asteroids 692 01:37:58,172 --> 01:38:01,909 because you are providing a lot of really low thrust to the spacecraft. 693 01:38:01,909 --> 01:38:06,080 So you can actually maneuver around asteroids much more easily than you would 694 01:38:06,080 --> 01:38:08,249 with a traditional system where you're burning through 695 01:38:08,249 --> 01:38:10,618 a lot of propellant and you're using less propellant for that. 696 01:38:10,851 --> 01:38:14,388 So these are the type of things that you we are actually demonstrated 697 01:38:14,388 --> 01:38:18,092 that might come in handy in getting to a variety of different asteroids, 698 01:38:19,093 --> 01:38:21,262 no matter where they are. 699 01:38:22,229 --> 01:38:23,163 Thank you so much. 700 01:38:23,163 --> 01:38:26,333 We are going to go back to a social media question now. 701 01:38:26,533 --> 01:38:32,039 Nicole Choi from Twitter asks How will Dart find and hit the asteroid 702 01:38:33,207 --> 01:38:34,208 Elena? 703 01:38:35,776 --> 01:38:36,610 Good question. 704 01:38:36,610 --> 01:38:38,178 Thank you, Nicole. 705 01:38:38,479 --> 01:38:42,750 So we are going to be using optical navigation 706 01:38:42,750 --> 01:38:47,521 for a portion of the cruise of where we use our telescope called Draco, 707 01:38:48,389 --> 01:38:52,793 and this telescope is going to be searching for did almost the whole time. 708 01:38:53,594 --> 01:38:55,229 We are in space. 709 01:38:55,229 --> 01:38:57,932 We're really in for real, 710 01:38:58,232 --> 01:39:03,003 starting about 40 days out before we impact. 711 01:39:03,304 --> 01:39:06,840 So right now, we have a pretty good understanding of where Dittemore system 712 01:39:06,840 --> 01:39:11,645 is. And so when the spacecraft of gets launched, the rocket 713 01:39:11,645 --> 01:39:14,715 puts it on a particular trajectory to go to Didymos 714 01:39:14,982 --> 01:39:17,952 And in fact, if everything went well, if we're on a perfect 715 01:39:17,952 --> 01:39:20,921 trajectory, we wouldn't have to do any maneuvers at all. 716 01:39:21,422 --> 01:39:26,160 So we're going on our trajectory and about 40 to 30 days out, 717 01:39:26,160 --> 01:39:30,631 we're going to start searching for Didymos where we expect it to be. 718 01:39:31,131 --> 01:39:33,200 And the whole time, 719 01:39:33,200 --> 01:39:36,136 you know, 40 days out to about ten days 720 01:39:36,136 --> 01:39:39,707 out, we are taking images every five hours 721 01:39:40,040 --> 01:39:44,144 and we're processing them on the ground here with the navigation team at JPL, 722 01:39:44,478 --> 01:39:47,281 who is actually processing images 723 01:39:47,281 --> 01:39:50,851 and making sure that we're navigating towards Didymos correctly. 724 01:39:51,385 --> 01:39:54,555 And we are still navigating 725 01:39:54,555 --> 01:39:57,558 to dilemmas all the way in through four hours in 726 01:39:58,092 --> 01:40:00,794 at which point the spacecraft starts navigating itself. 727 01:40:01,729 --> 01:40:03,364 And at that point, 728 01:40:04,365 --> 01:40:05,866 it keeps navigating 729 01:40:05,866 --> 01:40:09,503 itself to Didymos until about an hour out of which point to switch to switch. 730 01:40:09,670 --> 01:40:13,273 It finds Dimorphos because, as Andy said, the Moon will come out 731 01:40:13,273 --> 01:40:14,775 from behind Didymos. 732 01:40:14,775 --> 01:40:18,812 It finds the Dimorphos and then it navigates the words itself, Dimorphos. 733 01:40:19,279 --> 01:40:22,616 But the whole time is just based on the fact that we're taking pictures 734 01:40:23,250 --> 01:40:25,419 and we know where it is. 735 01:40:26,854 --> 01:40:28,589 We're going to go back to the media now. 736 01:40:28,589 --> 01:40:31,525 Operator, do we have the next question? 737 01:40:31,525 --> 01:40:34,428 Yes, our next question comes from Paul Brinkman with UPI. 738 01:40:34,461 --> 01:40:36,296 Your line is open. 739 01:40:37,297 --> 01:40:39,033 Hi, yeah, thank you very much. 740 01:40:39,033 --> 01:40:41,702 Can you hear me? Yes, we can. 741 01:40:41,702 --> 01:40:42,403 Great. 742 01:40:43,070 --> 01:40:45,706 one quick question about the impact timeline. 743 01:40:46,073 --> 01:40:49,843 The mission website is September 26 to October first. 744 01:40:51,478 --> 01:40:54,481 How does that change if the launch date is delayed? 745 01:40:54,915 --> 01:40:58,218 And then I also wanted to know, I guess, it was going to be 746 01:40:58,218 --> 01:41:00,788 secondary operation by radio telescope 747 01:41:01,355 --> 01:41:03,357 or Deebo was part of that plan. 748 01:41:03,824 --> 01:41:07,528 Can you just explain what, if any, impact collapsed 749 01:41:07,528 --> 01:41:10,097 various people had on that plan? Thanks. 750 01:41:10,764 --> 01:41:11,765 Thank you, Alina. 751 01:41:11,765 --> 01:41:15,402 The first half of the question, then I will throw it over to Nancy. 752 01:41:15,569 --> 01:41:17,704 Yes, it sounds good. 753 01:41:17,738 --> 01:41:21,075 So the reason why it says September 754 01:41:21,075 --> 01:41:24,878 26 through October first is it all depends on when we launch in the launch period . 755 01:41:24,878 --> 01:41:27,815 As I said earlier, we have 84 opportunities. 756 01:41:27,848 --> 01:41:31,251 If we launch on day one of our of our opportunity, 757 01:41:31,251 --> 01:41:34,455 we will hit Dimorphos on September 26. 758 01:41:34,755 --> 01:41:38,625 And basically, as we go farther in the launch period 759 01:41:38,859 --> 01:41:41,562 by February 15th, where you're hitting it on October first, 760 01:41:42,062 --> 01:41:45,732 that constraint was really placed there just for the radar observations 761 01:41:45,732 --> 01:41:50,070 to so that way, the radar can actually see when Dimorphism is closest to Earth. 762 01:41:50,070 --> 01:41:51,705 So lending over to you. Mm-Hmm. 763 01:41:51,705 --> 01:41:56,110 said earlier, the real measurement of the change 764 01:41:56,110 --> 01:42:00,714 in the orbit orbital period of Dimorphos, 765 01:42:01,081 --> 01:42:03,784 what we've done with optical telescopes, it's done 766 01:42:03,784 --> 01:42:06,186 by observing the light curve 767 01:42:07,387 --> 01:42:10,591 brightness and dimming of this eclipsing binary 768 01:42:10,591 --> 01:42:15,129 when the moon goes in front and behind the primary object. 769 01:42:15,129 --> 01:42:17,598 So radar was never 770 01:42:18,198 --> 01:42:22,236 a prime requirement for the mission. 771 01:42:22,903 --> 01:42:26,373 That being said, it's always good to get the radar observations 772 01:42:27,541 --> 01:42:30,811 because they provide very precise positioning. 773 01:42:31,778 --> 01:42:35,282 And if the signal is strong enough, 774 01:42:35,282 --> 01:42:38,619 you know, actual imaging of at least the main body 775 01:42:39,820 --> 01:42:43,590 and maybe the position of the Moon, a moon that small that far away 776 01:42:43,590 --> 01:42:48,729 over 6 million miles is still hard to detect with our planetary radar. 777 01:42:49,263 --> 01:42:51,865 Yeah, we we still grieves 778 01:42:51,865 --> 01:42:54,067 the loss of the irascible radar, 779 01:42:54,868 --> 01:42:59,406 but we still have a Goldstone 70 meter Goldstone 780 01:43:01,608 --> 01:43:03,844 Solar System radar capability 781 01:43:03,844 --> 01:43:06,380 and the we do plan 782 01:43:06,813 --> 01:43:09,149 to observe using Goldstone. 783 01:43:10,017 --> 01:43:13,420 And if the setup is right, we're used the Goldstone 784 01:43:13,420 --> 01:43:17,524 to transmit the 70 meter to transmit and or receive the signal 785 01:43:17,524 --> 01:43:20,561 at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia. 786 01:43:22,696 --> 01:43:24,531 That set up 787 01:43:24,531 --> 01:43:27,334 by static radar set up gives us the strongest 788 01:43:28,435 --> 01:43:31,171 signal to noise ratio and 789 01:43:31,171 --> 01:43:32,973 would provide the best observations 790 01:43:32,973 --> 01:43:35,108 in this particular situation. 791 01:43:38,145 --> 01:43:41,315 And we'll take the next media question, please. 792 01:43:41,315 --> 01:43:42,015 Thank you. 793 01:43:42,015 --> 01:43:42,683 As a reminder, 794 01:43:42,683 --> 01:43:46,086 if you'd like to ask a question, please press star one and record your name. 795 01:43:46,453 --> 01:43:49,590 The next question comes from Michael Greco with National Geographic. 796 01:43:49,656 --> 01:43:51,525 Your line is open. 797 01:43:51,758 --> 01:43:53,694 How much? 798 01:43:53,694 --> 01:43:56,496 two quick questions, I think the first might be 799 01:43:56,496 --> 01:43:59,833 for Nancy and Andy, the second is for Windley. 800 01:44:01,001 --> 01:44:04,538 There's there's been some questions about 801 01:44:04,538 --> 01:44:07,274 the long term characterization of darts. 802 01:44:07,574 --> 01:44:10,244 I was wondering if you could speak to how important 803 01:44:10,644 --> 01:44:14,414 the European Space Agency's upcoming Harrah mission 804 01:44:14,881 --> 01:44:19,853 will be to understand the long term impact of the Dart and then Lindley. 805 01:44:20,153 --> 01:44:23,323 You mentioned earlier the importance of detecting these asteroid 806 01:44:23,857 --> 01:44:26,126 as soon as possible. 807 01:44:26,126 --> 01:44:31,231 Earlier today, the Asteroid 2020 decadal survey was published, and it noted 808 01:44:31,498 --> 01:44:36,503 satellite constellations biggest potential scientific impact on astronomy 809 01:44:36,837 --> 01:44:40,807 would come into play in the discovery of near-Earth objects. 810 01:44:41,108 --> 01:44:44,378 So I was wondering if you could speak to kind of the long term plan for 811 01:44:44,745 --> 01:44:48,682 observing and detecting near-Earth objects and the potential effects of things 812 01:44:48,682 --> 01:44:51,652 like megaconstellation? Thanks. 813 01:44:51,652 --> 01:44:54,354 We will go to Andy for the first question and Lindley for the second. 814 01:44:54,688 --> 01:44:59,660 OK? OK, so the European Harrah mission will 815 01:45:01,395 --> 01:45:03,664 launch in 2024 and will visit 816 01:45:04,398 --> 01:45:07,634 Didymos system in late 2026 817 01:45:08,068 --> 01:45:10,504 and make very important contributions 818 01:45:10,771 --> 01:45:14,207 to understanding the outcome of the dart impact. 819 01:45:14,441 --> 01:45:16,076 So there's two main things that we do. 820 01:45:16,076 --> 01:45:19,379 The first is the spacecraft, the European spacecraft. 821 01:45:19,413 --> 01:45:23,317 Hera will directly measure the mass of the Morpho, 822 01:45:23,317 --> 01:45:25,886 so that's a measurement that cannot make all by itself. 823 01:45:26,253 --> 01:45:30,057 We can make estimates, but there will be a direct measurement 824 01:45:30,057 --> 01:45:33,527 of the mass from hedgerows 825 01:45:34,127 --> 01:45:37,397 in rendezvous with the identical system. 826 01:45:37,564 --> 01:45:41,601 And the second important measurement they'll make is they'll be able to study 827 01:45:41,702 --> 01:45:45,706 the impact crater that the dart impact made. 828 01:45:45,972 --> 01:45:47,708 How big is it, how deep is it? 829 01:45:47,708 --> 01:45:49,142 And maybe even look for pieces 830 01:45:49,142 --> 01:45:52,179 of the Dart spacecraft that may be sticking out of the ground? 831 01:45:52,179 --> 01:45:52,679 Who knows? 832 01:45:53,980 --> 01:45:55,682 OK, well, the second part of that 833 01:45:55,682 --> 01:45:59,453 was what's going to be the impact of these mega constellations 834 01:45:59,453 --> 01:46:03,890 that are being talked about as 30,000, you know, spacecraft, something like that 835 01:46:04,925 --> 01:46:08,895 to to these surveys of ground based surveys. 836 01:46:09,429 --> 01:46:13,800 The first thing is that, well, you know, the current surveys are 837 01:46:14,501 --> 01:46:18,505 spacecraft up there now, satellites, debris, and it is something 838 01:46:18,505 --> 01:46:23,176 that we have to contend with with our imagery from the ground already. 839 01:46:23,944 --> 01:46:26,980 But with that size, the constellation 840 01:46:26,980 --> 01:46:29,683 of the dugong doing some estimating 841 01:46:30,317 --> 01:46:34,121 and some of our survey systems, the number of times 842 01:46:34,121 --> 01:46:37,624 that one of those spacecraft would be in the field of view. 843 01:46:37,624 --> 01:46:41,328 And you've got that many up there and just about every image that we would take 844 01:46:42,329 --> 01:46:45,031 would have one of those spacecraft in it. 845 01:46:45,165 --> 01:46:49,069 And so part of the image now these are very wide field images, 846 01:46:49,069 --> 01:46:53,473 so only a part of the image would be 847 01:46:56,109 --> 01:46:57,811 damaged, so to 848 01:46:57,811 --> 01:47:01,681 speak, by the that satellite being in it. 849 01:47:01,681 --> 01:47:04,084 But it wouldn't completely 850 01:47:05,852 --> 01:47:08,321 disable the capability. 851 01:47:08,321 --> 01:47:10,757 But our real direction 852 01:47:11,057 --> 01:47:14,761 for the neo program is our next mission 853 01:47:15,996 --> 01:47:21,134 that is under the formulation right now into preliminary design. 854 01:47:21,134 --> 01:47:24,571 And that is the near-Earth Object Surveyor, 855 01:47:25,439 --> 01:47:31,278 which is a space based air infrared telescope that's being specifically 856 01:47:31,278 --> 01:47:35,782 designed to detect, track and characterize near-Earth asteroids. 857 01:47:36,583 --> 01:47:40,420 It will be launched and positioned into space 858 01:47:40,687 --> 01:47:45,258 at the Earth Sun L1 point to about 1,000,000 miles or sunward, 859 01:47:45,692 --> 01:47:49,062 and that'll be well away from Earth 860 01:47:49,062 --> 01:47:52,098 and won't be affected by these constellations. 861 01:47:53,166 --> 01:47:57,771 But it's, you know, it's still a area of concern 862 01:47:57,971 --> 01:48:03,143 because a lot of our characterization observations and certainly 863 01:48:04,144 --> 01:48:10,083 a lot in the astrophysical realm are that still use. 864 01:48:10,083 --> 01:48:12,319 The ground based observatories 865 01:48:12,319 --> 01:48:14,154 are concerned about the number of spacecraft that are up there 866 01:48:14,154 --> 01:48:16,590 are concerned about the number of spacecraft that are up there 867 01:48:16,590 --> 01:48:22,362 and what effect they could have on the imaging from ground based telescopes. 868 01:48:23,797 --> 01:48:24,731 Thank you so much. 869 01:48:24,731 --> 01:48:27,701 We are going to take another social media question now, 870 01:48:28,101 --> 01:48:33,273 Steve from Facebook asks What is smart nav and how does it work? 871 01:48:33,773 --> 01:48:35,075 I think that's for Elaina. 872 01:48:35,075 --> 01:48:36,343 Thank you, Steve. 873 01:48:36,376 --> 01:48:36,877 All right. 874 01:48:36,877 --> 01:48:41,081 So smart nav is a set of algorithms 875 01:48:41,081 --> 01:48:45,051 that we use in order to be able to find and head to Morpheus. 876 01:48:45,385 --> 01:48:49,756 And these algorithms come from the development 877 01:48:49,756 --> 01:48:54,761 for many years at the Applied Physics Laboratory for Missile Defense, 878 01:48:55,128 --> 01:48:58,231 where they also look for really small things and they try to hit them. 879 01:48:58,932 --> 01:49:02,135 But in this case of, we're using it for planetary defense, 880 01:49:03,003 --> 01:49:08,808 and it's a set of algorithms that control our thrusters, which are a 881 01:49:09,910 --> 01:49:12,412 main way to propel our spacecraft. 882 01:49:12,412 --> 01:49:16,216 They control our attitude to make sure that we can actually point 883 01:49:16,249 --> 01:49:19,553 our imager at the asteroid. 884 01:49:19,786 --> 01:49:23,557 So we're pointing our imager at amorphous. 885 01:49:23,557 --> 01:49:28,194 We're taking pictures and those pictures add up and the spacecraft 886 01:49:28,461 --> 01:49:33,300 and their process to see if we can form a track to that asteroid. 887 01:49:33,433 --> 01:49:36,836 You know, we basically are taking out the attitude motion of the spacecraft, 888 01:49:37,103 --> 01:49:40,774 and we're trying to see if we can keep tracking that one dot 889 01:49:40,774 --> 01:49:42,542 that we think is the asteroid. 890 01:49:42,542 --> 01:49:43,877 And that's how it basically works. 891 01:49:43,877 --> 01:49:45,245 At some point, it switches over to 892 01:49:45,245 --> 01:49:49,583 Dimporphos from Didymos and does the same thing the whole time. 893 01:49:49,583 --> 01:49:53,153 It's trying to correct its attitude and correct its trajectory, 894 01:49:53,386 --> 01:49:57,057 you know, so its center sits itself in space and figures out, Where am I? 895 01:49:57,424 --> 01:50:02,796 Where do I need to go in order to be able to have to really directly hit this dock? 896 01:50:04,130 --> 01:50:06,866 The main thing it has to take into account orbital emotion 897 01:50:06,866 --> 01:50:10,370 to add and conditioned to just the linear flight. 898 01:50:10,670 --> 01:50:11,371 That's right. 899 01:50:11,371 --> 01:50:11,905 That's right. 900 01:50:11,905 --> 01:50:16,009 The fact that the dimorphic is not just going back and forth 901 01:50:16,209 --> 01:50:18,778 and you're seeing a 2D image of it, right? 902 01:50:19,512 --> 01:50:21,848 That adds up as well. 903 01:50:22,015 --> 01:50:24,718 As well as start popping in and out of the field of view of the star 904 01:50:24,718 --> 01:50:28,922 striker know it's a little bit more complicated, but that's the basics. 905 01:50:30,624 --> 01:50:32,258 Thank you so much. 906 01:50:32,258 --> 01:50:34,394 We will go back to a media question now, please. 907 01:50:35,629 --> 01:50:38,932 Thank you, the next question comes from Megan Bartels with Space.com. 908 01:50:38,965 --> 01:50:40,900 Your line is open. 909 01:50:40,934 --> 01:50:42,202 Thanks so much. 910 01:50:42,202 --> 01:50:45,138 This might be sort of a basic orbital thing, 911 01:50:45,171 --> 01:50:49,542 but could you explain why if you hit the moon head on, 912 01:50:49,643 --> 01:50:53,813 it will eat up the orbit right now? 913 01:50:55,982 --> 01:50:58,385 All right, we'll pass to Andy for that one. OK. 914 01:50:59,319 --> 01:51:01,788 Yes. When we hit. 915 01:51:01,788 --> 01:51:09,629 Demographers head on instantaneously, you are slowing down the moon in its orbit, 916 01:51:09,829 --> 01:51:14,968 but because it's slowing down, what happens is that the centrifugal force 917 01:51:14,968 --> 01:51:20,106 that's holding the Moon away from did most gravity. 918 01:51:20,106 --> 01:51:26,246 The centrifugal force is reduced, and so the moon falls closer to Didymos. 919 01:51:26,246 --> 01:51:29,215 When it falls in closer, it speeds up. 920 01:51:29,983 --> 01:51:32,719 This is the same process as the skater 921 01:51:33,620 --> 01:51:37,057 who is turning pulling in her arms and she spins out faster. 922 01:51:37,057 --> 01:51:40,026 It conserves the angular momentum, so the same process 923 01:51:40,894 --> 01:51:45,932 Dimorphos come in swinging and closer to the main body. 924 01:51:45,932 --> 01:51:48,568 It has to speed up to conserve angular momentum. 925 01:51:49,235 --> 01:51:51,771 Of course, when it goes, it backed out again in its orbit. 926 01:51:53,573 --> 01:51:54,908 It slows down again, 927 01:51:54,908 --> 01:51:59,112 but the speeding up is more than the slowing down. 928 01:51:59,412 --> 01:52:03,149 And on the average, the orbit period is shortened. 929 01:52:03,216 --> 01:52:05,385 On the average, the orbit speed increases. 930 01:52:05,418 --> 01:52:08,988 So that's what happens even though we hit it head on and instantaneously 931 01:52:09,289 --> 01:52:11,524 slow down the target. 932 01:52:14,260 --> 01:52:15,295 Thank you. 933 01:52:15,395 --> 01:52:18,131 The next media question, please. 934 01:52:18,698 --> 01:52:20,834 Next question comes from Marcia Smith 935 01:52:20,834 --> 01:52:23,770 with space policy online dot com, your line is open. 936 01:52:24,904 --> 01:52:26,940 Thanks so much for letting me ask a second question. 937 01:52:27,574 --> 01:52:31,945 Someone brought up earlier about how the kale survey is out-of-date, 938 01:52:31,978 --> 01:52:36,249 and it makes me wonder about planetary science decadal that's underway. 939 01:52:36,816 --> 01:52:41,621 Are they evaluating planetary defense missions and 940 01:52:42,655 --> 01:52:45,892 how you should prioritize the type of techniques 941 01:52:45,892 --> 01:52:50,230 that you have know apart from kinetic impact and help you 942 01:52:50,730 --> 01:52:55,168 prioritize where you should be investing your money for future missions? 943 01:52:55,168 --> 01:52:58,571 And if that's not part of the title, is there some other group 944 01:52:58,772 --> 01:53:02,408 then the academies or somewhere else that helps you prioritize 945 01:53:02,942 --> 01:53:06,713 whether to invest in these kinds of missions or invest in AI? 946 01:53:07,313 --> 01:53:10,383 Is it Neo assume that the survey mission 947 01:53:10,383 --> 01:53:13,853 or ground-based, uh, identification of asteroid? 948 01:53:13,987 --> 01:53:16,623 How do you support all that out that excites you? 949 01:53:16,689 --> 01:53:19,626 Well, we happen to have the perfect person to answer that question 950 01:53:19,626 --> 01:53:20,927 here, and that is Nancy. 951 01:53:22,996 --> 01:53:25,398 But that's not the intro that I was expecting there. 952 01:53:25,398 --> 01:53:26,166 Lindley. 953 01:53:27,433 --> 01:53:30,737 Yeah, I'm a I'm serving as the chair of the Small Bodies panel 954 01:53:30,737 --> 01:53:34,474 for the Planetary Decadal Survey that's currently ongoing. 955 01:53:35,074 --> 01:53:38,344 We've had a number of open sessions and you can check out the website for there. 956 01:53:38,344 --> 01:53:39,612 But yeah, planetary defense 957 01:53:39,612 --> 01:53:43,149 is within the scope of the Planetary Decadal Survey for the first time. 958 01:53:43,416 --> 01:53:48,655 So this next planetary decadal survey that comes out will include a discussion 959 01:53:48,655 --> 01:53:52,625 of planetary defense and priorities looking forward for the next decade. 960 01:53:53,226 --> 01:53:55,829 Obviously, that's not scheduled to come out until next March, 961 01:53:55,862 --> 01:53:58,464 so I really don't have a whole lot more to say about that. 962 01:53:58,464 --> 01:54:01,334 But if you want to add on to that Lindley, I think it's really great 963 01:54:01,334 --> 01:54:04,804 that planetary defense is being included in the Cato survey for this time. 964 01:54:06,739 --> 01:54:07,974 Yeah, it is. 965 01:54:07,974 --> 01:54:11,711 And it signifies that, you know, the planetary defense program is 966 01:54:13,346 --> 01:54:16,449 a important part of the overall planetary science 967 01:54:16,683 --> 01:54:19,552 portfolio at NASA now. 968 01:54:20,086 --> 01:54:22,021 We do have one last social media question, 969 01:54:22,021 --> 01:54:25,258 I think if we answer it quickly, we can fit it in before we have to go. 970 01:54:25,859 --> 01:54:30,129 Sharon on Twitter asks Do we already know what kind of surfaced 971 01:54:30,129 --> 01:54:33,199 Dimorphos has and if it turns out to be a porous surface? 972 01:54:33,233 --> 01:54:35,668 Would the redirection still be effective? 973 01:54:37,070 --> 01:54:40,440 OK, do we already know what kind of service tomorrow says the answer is no. 974 01:54:41,274 --> 01:54:43,109 Simple as that, we know nothing about it. 975 01:54:43,109 --> 01:54:45,578 It's just barely resolved, 976 01:54:45,578 --> 01:54:47,113 even in the radar data. 977 01:54:47,113 --> 01:54:51,217 And while the redirection still be effective, yes, we believe so. 978 01:54:52,252 --> 01:54:54,454 The amount of deflection we get is uncertain. 979 01:54:54,687 --> 01:54:57,490 Porosity affects that, but there will be a redirection. 980 01:54:57,490 --> 01:54:59,259 We are confident of that. 981 01:54:59,259 --> 01:55:00,226 Thank you so much. 982 01:55:00,226 --> 01:55:02,528 Thank you to all of our speakers for being here today. 983 01:55:02,562 --> 01:55:05,331 Thank you so much for joining us. 984 01:55:05,331 --> 01:55:07,600 Keep watching nasa.gov 985 01:55:07,600 --> 01:55:10,270 live for that launch coming up later this month. 986 01:55:10,670 --> 01:55:13,473 And in the meantime, thank you. 987 01:55:14,007 --> 01:55:14,474 Goodbye.