up to 20 metres wide. but this should also give the rock a kick which will speed up its orbit. and this can be monitored from the earth to see if it s worked. all you really need is a nudge, because the distances you re going and the speeds you re going, a tiny change in direction can result in a huge change in how far it s going to miss the earth. and that could be vital. a 160 metre wide rock like diomorphos could be catastrophic for populated areas. bigger asteroids that are kilometres across have the potential to devastate the planet. the hope is this mission will show us if it s possible to stop future collisions. the spacecraft will arrive at its destination next autumn. rebecca morelle, bbc news. without wishing to scare you at all! all you need is a little nudge to push the asteroid, we will be fine. we will see live pictures of the rocket taking off in about ten minutes, hopefully. they are saying
asteroids in the next 100 years. the smaller asteroids, this is about 140 metres across asteroids, this is about 140 metres across, those are the ones we do not find so across, those are the ones we do not find so easily across, those are the ones we do not find so easily. telescopes look the things find so easily. telescopes look the things that move in the sky, and they things that move in the sky, and they are things that move in the sky, and they are very faint if they are very small they are very faint if they are very small because they don t reflect the sun s small because they don t reflect the sun s light small because they don t reflect the sun s light unlike the moon which is huge. sun s light unlike the moon which is huge. and sun s light unlike the moon which is huge, and you can see a shadow on a full moon huge, and you can see a shadow on a full moon night. but they are so faint full moon night. but they are so faint that full moon night. but they
they re about to launch the falcon nine rocket. when that reaches space it will release a craft called dart. in about ten months, dart will then smash into a huge rock called dimorphos to see how much its speed and path can be altered. the idea is to test out technology that might one day be needed to push a dangerous asteroid off course if it s headed for earth. we can speak now to dr becky smethurst, an astrophysicist from the university of oxford. we can also see, becky, pictures, the rocket is about to take up very shortly, live in california and it will blast into space and begin this mission. tell us what we are seeing and why this matters. it’s mission. tell us what we are seeing and why this matters. and why this matters. it s an incredible and why this matters. it s an
pictures from a nasa mission which has just launched pictures from a nasa mission which hasjust launched in pictures from a nasa mission which has just launched in the last couple of minutes, this is the double asteroid redirection test which will take place over the next year. this subsequent spacecraft will then try to nudge the asteroid in space to see whether it can do that. have we ever done anything like this before, doctor? . , ., , ., doctor? recently, we actually landed a craft on the doctor? recently, we actually landed a craft on the asteroid, doctor? recently, we actually landed a craft on the asteroid, the doctor? recently, we actually landed a craft on the asteroid, the rosita . a craft on the asteroid, the rosita mission a craft on the asteroid, the rosita mission was quite exciting. we lost the lender, mission was quite exciting. we lost the lender, we spent ages looking for it the lender, we spent ages looking for it on the lender, we spent ages looking for