Asteroid smasher set to launch this month

NASA plans to launch the DART spacecraft on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California as part of its planetary defense strategy. The mission aims to impact a small asteroid in the Didymos binary system to alter its orbit slightly. This will provide crucial data for future Earth defense missions. A CubeSat will be deployed to capture footage of the impact and resulting debris.

What is the primary purpose of the DART mission?

• To explore new planets

• To test planetary defense strategies

• To establish a human colony on Mars

• To study the sun's atmosphere

Which asteroid system is the DART mission targeting?

• Apophis

• Bennu

• Didymos binary

• Ceres

What is the expected speed of the DART spacecraft at impact?

• 10,000 kilometers per hour

• 21,700 kilometers per hour

• 5,000 kilometers per hour

• 50,000 kilometers per hour

What is the role of the CubeSat in the DART mission?

• To navigate the spacecraft

• To provide power to the spacecraft

• To capture footage of the impact

• To communicate with Earth

When will the CubeSat be deployed in relation to the DART impact?

• Simultaneously with the impact

• 1 day before the impact

• 10 days before the impact

• 10 days after the impact