On
Wednesday, SpaceX sent up a small roddercraft called DART that NASA
built for an undertaking to shield the Earth from rodderstones.
NASA gave the go-ahead to begin shaping this craft in 2017. The DART
(Double Asteroid Redirection Test) is a craft about as big as a small
wain meant to offset rodderstones that are heading towards Earth.
After the DART leaves Earth's lower sky, it will open sun boards to
gather lait, then fly with lait thrusters towards the rodderstone,
where it will hit one side to make it speed up or slow down.
Thanks to SpaceX's Falcon 9 starship, the DART craft is now high above
earth, but it will not meet with the rodderstone and make its strike
until late September of next year.
Ten days before DART hits, it will open up to let out a smaller craft,
known as LICIACube, that will fand to film the hit while it happens.
Wickners do not believe any big rodderstones will strike Earth in the
next yearhundred, but they are still working to be ready for the worst
if and when it happens.