Supervisor: Frank Grundahl

DART, which stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, is an exciting mission conducted by NASA to develop technology for deflecting potentially hazardous asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. The mission aims to test the effectiveness of a spacecraft in altering the orbit of a binary asteroid system.

In this colloquium, we will discover how this ambitious endeavor harnesses cutting-edge technology to alter the trajectory of a binary asteroid system. Through a kinetic impactor technique, the spacecraft will deliberately collide with the moonlet of the Didymos system, precisely measuring the impact and subsequent deflection.

Considering the noteworthy accomplishments thus far, with the aid of ground-based telescopes such as ATLAS and SOAR, as well as the remarkable perspectives offered by Hubble Space Telescope, we have been graced with captivating imagery. Armed with these visual treasures, we will analyze the changes that occur on the asteroid Dimorphos after impact, which will provide an outlook on the future development of planetary defense.