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NASA's DART spacecraft changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun

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Re: NASA's DART spacecraft changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun

#4
Interesting. I'd not considered the loss of mass as a means of propulsion.

Obviously there was the kinetic energy transfer but the impact ejacted some of the asteroids mass opposite to it's trajectory further increasing it's trajectory change.

Cool demonstration, hopefully not needed one day.

Re: NASA's DART spacecraft changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun

#5
post #4

Interesting. I'd not considered the loss of mass as a means of propulsion. Obviously there was the kinetic energy transfer but the impact ejacted some of the asteroids mass opposite to it's trajectory further increasing it's trajectory change. Cool demonstration, hopefully not needed one day.

That's how rockets work.

Re: NASA's DART spacecraft changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun

#6
post #5
post #4

Interesting. I'd not considered the loss of mass as a means of propulsion. Obviously there was the kinetic energy transfer but the impact ejacted some of the asteroids mass opposite to it's trajectory further increasing it's trajectory change. Cool demonstration, hopefully not needed one day.

That's how rockets work.

Yeah, I sort of meant in the context of an object losing its mass, it's seldom used on earth as the effects are small but on the timescale/distance/speeds of an asteroid it could have noticeable effects.

Rockets are using mass loss but there's more going on with the rapidly expanding gas causing the increased impulse.

Re: NASA's DART spacecraft changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun

#7
post #3

Wow, that's the first step! However, the most efficient method would be actually land (I know - maybe even impossible?) on it, and use propellers to change its trajectory. We don't have too much throwaway high-tech to crash it on asteroids...

I'm not sure this is actually a necessary explanation...but while propellers technically COULD function in space (not a perfect vacuum, right?)...they're basically going to be useless.

Re: NASA's DART spacecraft changed an asteroid's orbit around the sun

#10
post #3

Wow, that's the first step! However, the most efficient method would be actually land (I know - maybe even impossible?) on it, and use propellers to change its trajectory. We don't have too much throwaway high-tech to crash it on asteroids...

I'm not sure this is actually a necessary explanation...but while propellers technically COULD function in space (not a perfect vacuum, right?)...they're basically going to be useless.

He probably misuses "propeller" which is strangely restrictive to "rotative blade propulsion" in English whereas "to propel" is generic in its meaning.
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