The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Asteroid "Bennu" could collide with the earth - Nasa wants to prevent the possible impact with a plan

2020-10-10T08:42:50.869Z


The asteroid "Bennu" could one day become dangerous for Earth. Therefore, the NASA mission "Osiris-Rex" should help to better calculate the trajectories of asteroids.


The asteroid "Bennu" could one day become dangerous for Earth.

Therefore, the NASA mission "Osiris-Rex" should help to better calculate the trajectories of asteroids.

  • The

    asteroid "Bennu"

    could

    one day become dangerous

    for

    Earth

    .

  • The

    NASA space probe "Osiris-Rex" is

    researching the

    asteroid

    at close range and is supposed

    to send

    soil samples

    to Earth.

  • The

    NASA mission

    should also help to

    better calculate

    the

    trajectory of asteroids in the

    future

    .

Asteroid

the coming

Earth

always close again without presenting a danger.

But with some asteroids it is different: They are on a collision course with the earth or could end up on a collision course with a minimal change in their trajectory.

They are therefore on the watch lists of the space agencies, as they have to be monitored regularly.

High up on this list - even higher than the asteroid "Apophis" * - is the

asteroid "Bennu"

.

Asteroid "Bennu" could hit Earth between 2175 and 2199

According to the calculations, there will be

several possible collisions of the asteroid "Bennu" with the earth

between 2175 and 2199

.

And even if the probability of an actual collision is less than 0.07 percent, the

asteroid is

still closely monitored.

For example, it is also possible that a close flight past Earth changes the flight path of the asteroid in such a way that the future

risk of impact

increases.

And "Bennu" is an

asteroid

that is not to be trifled with: it has a diameter of around 490 meters, and calculations show that an impact would cause great damage in the vicinity of the impact site.

However, “Bennu” is not an asteroid whose impact destroys the earth, Dante Lauretta told space.com.

Lauretta is involved in the

NASA space probe "Osiris-Rex"

, which has been

orbiting

the

asteroid "Bennu"

for some time

and whose most important task is imminent.

Nasa space probe "Osiris-Rex" is supposed to bring soil samples from asteroid "Bennu" to earth

The

space probe "Osiris-Rex" set off

for the asteroid "Bennu" in September 2016 in order to examine it closely.

One of her main tasks: to bring samples from the asteroid back to Earth.

"Osiris-Rex" has been orbiting the asteroid since the end of 2018 in order to map its surface in high resolution.

The probe has already set several records:

  • "Osiris-Rex" orbits the asteroid as closely as no celestial body has been orbited before.

  • The asteroid "Bennu" is the smallest object in space that has ever been orbited by a probe.

NASA space probe "Osiris-Rex" collects material from asteroid "Bennu"

In the course of time the trajectory of

"Osiris-Rex"

around the asteroid was lowered further and further in order

to be able to map

every square centimeter of

"Bennu"

.

A suitable place was found to take a material sample.

On October 20, 2020, the time has come when the space probe will attempt to

collect

material from the

asteroid

for the first time

.

For this purpose, "Osiris-Rex" will leave its current orbit at an altitude of around 770 meters around the asteroid and slowly descend to the surface of the asteroid.

Once it has reached the selected location called "Nightingale", according to

NASA

, the space probe will

touch the ground for "less than 16 seconds" and emit a gas that is supposed to stir up the surface material from the asteroid, which the space probe can then pick up.

The space probe then fires its engines to move away from the asteroid.

The "reverse vacuum" TAGSAM on @OSIRISREx was invented by our engineer who used a plastic cup, air compressor, and gravel driveway to conduct the first test.

The system will be used to collect a sample from asteroid Bennu.

#ToBennuAndBack



Watch a behind-the-scenes lab test:

- Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) October 6, 2020

NASA probe "Osiris-Rex": return flight from asteroid "Bennu" to Earth in March 2021

"Osiris-Rex"

is supposed to bring at least 60 grams of rock from the

asteroid "Bennu"

back to Earth.

But how do researchers on earth know whether the material collection has been successful?

To check the collection, photos of the “TAGSAM” collection arm should be taken the day after.

In addition, a few days later, a turning maneuver will determine how much material the spacecraft has collected.

If the experts on earth are satisfied with it, the collected material is stowed in a return capsule.

If the collection is unsuccessful, "Osiris-Rex" can make two further attempts at collecting.

It is planned that the space probe's return flight to Earth will begin in March 2021.

In September 2023, "Osiris-Rex" is supposed to launch the capsule with the

asteroid rock

near the earth, shortly afterwards the capsule is to

land

on

earth

, where the valuable cargo is already expected by scientists.

NASA probe "Osiris-Rex" examines Jarkowski effect on asteroid "Bennu"

In addition to collecting the

asteroid samples

that are to be examined in detail on Earth, "Osiris-Rex" has another important task: The

space probe

is to

measure

the so-called

Jarkowski effect

- the influence of the inconsistent

surface heating of asteroids

 on their

orbit

and one of the biggest unknowns when it comes to calculating the trajectory of "Bennu" in the future.

In the case of “Bennu”, astronomers have calculated that the

Jarkowski effect

has

shifted the asteroid's trajectory

by 284 meters per year in the direction of the sun since 1999.

The data from "Osiris-Rex" should show how precise this calculation is.

In addition, the data will be used to refine the calculation of the Jarkowski effect in general and to clarify some open questions.

For example, how do mountains or craters on the

asteroid influence

the Jarkowski effect?

"We know that the surface irregularities influence the Jarkowski effect, we have models," explains "Osiris-Rex" team member Steven Chesley.

“But the models are speculative.

So far nobody has been able to test it. "

NASA mission "Osiris-Rex" helps to better calculate the trajectory of asteroids

After the

"Osiris-Rex"

mission,

NASA's

orbit calculations

for the asteroid "Bennu" should be around 60 times better than before, stresses Chesley.

The new findings can also be applied

to other

asteroids

.

In the future, the space organizations

Nasa

and

Esa

want to

jointly

target

an

asteroid

: The

double mission "AIDA"

*

is supposed to

deflect

the small moon of the

asteroid "Didymos"

by the impact of a space probe ("Dart" mission by

NASA

) and then measure the effect ("Hera" mission by

Esa

).

The space agencies want to

try out

a plan for

planetary defense

in practice.

Because so far plans to ward off

dangerous asteroids

only

exist

on paper.

(Tanja Banner)

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2020-10-10

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.