DART: Inside NASA’s $300m Mission to Save the World

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In today’s episode, Mega Projects is digging into Earth’s first-ever planetary defense test – a probe called DART that had only one mission – to either change an asteroid’s trajectory, or knock a chunk of space rock off-course, demonstrating how we might one day deflect an asteroid coming to wipe out human civilization.

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30 thoughts on “DART: Inside NASA’s $300m Mission to Save the World”

  2. @Simon @Megaprojects I do enjoy your videos. I would like to offer a bit of constructive feedback. Narrators rely on specific modulation of methods to impart, entice and engage: Pitch, Pace, Power. Slow your pace – rattling becomes tiring at mach speeds non stop. Use pitch to impart change of import, and less variance of power so listener is not struggling one second to hear, and ripping headphones off the next.
    Also… windscreen…. please… the S hisses… ouch…

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  12. For any future intercept of one on the way to us the two variables that really matter are time and distance. Mass matters as well of course. Detecting the mass far enough out gives enough time for reaction. Also the further out it is found the smaller change in it's course is needed to be changed. It's all a matter of orbital mechanics and Delta V.

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  14. Excellent video, Mr. Whistler. Thanks. But I am still waiting to hear if the experiment was a "success" or a "failure". I define "success" as the determination that a spacecraft of this mass and at this speed can deflect a 140 meter diameter (city-killer) asteroid enough to miss Earth and get a 'slingshot' out into space; and I define "failure" as moving the impact zone from New York City to London, for example.
    Anyone?

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  15. huh, i loved the scene in Armageddon where the asteroid blows and both halves are litterall that close to Earth but pass by either side without coming back.😂. No wonder NASA rolls it’s collective eyes at this entire movie.
    ‘Deep Impact’ is a better choice…

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  18. At about minute 3:00 you dismiss the idea of using a nuclear weapon to deflect an asteroid by referencing a Bruce Willis movie. While I agree that Hollywood should NEVER be used as a substitute for science, I would appreciate a deeper dive into what would be wrong with the nuclear weapon idea.
    Please allow me to outline my idea, and then let me know if I am mistaken. Thanks.
    First of all, in space there is no pressure wave or shock wave from a nuclear blast. That would require an atmosphere, which doesn't exist in space. So "blowing the asteroid into smaller (but still dangerous) pieces" doesn't seem likely. In space, a nuclear detonation will emit a massive amount of photons – gamma rays, infra red, ultra violet and visible light – and a small amount of ionized atoms from what used to be the walls of the nuclear device.
    If the asteroid is a solid rock, then detonating a medium size atomic bomb within a few meters of the surface seems like the intense radiation would vaporize enough of the surface rock to cause an ejection of vapor that would push the asteroid off course. If you want a science experiment that is more challenging than two colliding 'pool balls', let's try the nuclear experiment.
    And if the asteroid is a large 'pile of rocks', such as Dymorphus, then let's try blowing off several small rocks (which will burn up in Earth's atmosphere) and see if the resultant impulse would be enough to deflect the asteroid's core.
    I would think that the foregoing would be a more relevant experiment.
    Comments?

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  19. 👍Good segment Simon! But DART?? Even IF , by some Great Sum of Money going 🚽, it had ANY Effect, Evil-Space-Cats would just toss some more our way. BEWARE!!… Oh!.. the HORROR… the HORROR… OR Politicians would just say “ It’s All PUTIN’S Fault! “.

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  24. I've been to Vandenberg several time. Alot of ufo 🛸 people believe there are alien crafts visit there or are kept there idk exactly. In the visitor center the bathrooms are labeled with pics of a male and female aliens. It's funny little wink 😉

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