DART is the first planetary defense test mission, as a test of risk mitigation on a near-Earth asteroid.
The Paris Observatory - PSL is a member of the DART Investigation Team
What is the objective of this mission ?
This NASA mission with an international collaboration is intentionally performing a kinetic impact on Dimorphos, the moon of the asteroid (65803) Didymos, in order to slightly modify its relative motion.
While this asteroid does not pose any threat to Earth, the objective of the DART mission is to demonstrate that a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a near-Earth asteroid to perform a kinetic impact. This will prove, in real life, that the kinetic impactor mitigation technique is a viable technique for deflecting an asteroid that is on a future collision course with Earth - if one is ever discovered to be such a threat.
There is currently no risk of a collision between the Earth and a near-Earth asteroid, but we must ensure that we will be able to respond quickly if necessary, by mastering all the steps involved in managing this risk, including the technology to be implemented.
The impact will be monitored worldwide by the DART Investigation Team, a scientific collaboration of 230 researchers from 102 different institutions in 27 countries.
Its analysis will help prepare the next European space mission Hera, which will observe the Dimorphos - Didymos system in 2027, with another major event expected : the passage of the asteroid Apophis on April 13, 2029, which will be visible to the naked eye from Earth.