my only issue with DART

eman1200

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Mar 10, 2013
Messages
18,759
Location
Oakland, CA
Display Name

Display name:
Bro do you even lift
is that it won't be like the movies with big KABOOMS and 'splosions and fire (huh uhh, yeah, FIRE!! FIRE!!) other than that, I'd kinda like to be on a team that sends a satellite on a crash course with a giant rock.

huhh uhh, yeah, that'd be COOL!

 
I'm about done with all of this crap. I hope they can change its trajectory so it's a center mass hit. On the Earth.

It's been too long since we've had an extinction level event.
As long as it hits me right in the head. I don't want to deal with the aftermath.
 
Bring it on baby! I’ve got my dehydrated food ready for action! Melee weapons ready to go!
 
My only issue with it is why are we only hearing about it today? If the target really was headed for earth, I’d like a little more notice, please.
 
My only issue with it is why are we only hearing about it today? If the target really was headed for earth, I’d like a little more notice, please.

'we' aren't just hearing about it today. it's been on my party calendar for a while (like I need an excuse!). and it's not one of those "OMG we're in danger, send the DART!!". it's more of a test of the functionality.

BUT, leave it up to an aviation youtuber to blow this out of proportion and make an overly dramatic video about it!
 
I'm about done with all of this crap. I hope they can change its trajectory so it's a center mass hit. On the Earth.

It's been too long since we've had an extinction level event.
Every time I see those Hollywood movies where they save the entire world thing, I go what’s the point? Why?
 
I'm about done with all of this crap. I hope they can change its trajectory so it's a center mass hit. On the Earth.

It's been too long since we've had an extinction level event.
pp,840x830-pad,1000x1000,f8f8f8.jpg
 
'we' aren't just hearing about it today. it's been on my party calendar for a while (like I need an excuse!). and it's not one of those "OMG we're in danger, send the DART!!". it's more of a test of the functionality.

BUT, leave it up to an aviation youtuber to blow this out of proportion and make an overly dramatic video about it!

But if part of the functionality is giving notice so we can get it on our social calendar, that part has already failed.

So disappointed.
 
I thought it wasn’t heading towards earth? This is just a test on a random asteroid to see if their theory works.

Kinda feel sorry for the little guy. Just cruising around minding your own business and baaam! #asteroidlivesmatter
 
I thought it wasn’t heading towards earth? This is just a test on a random asteroid to see if their theory works.

Kinda feel sorry for the little guy. Just cruising around minding your own business and baaam! #asteroidlivesmatter

See, they could’ve alleviated all this confusion had they just let us know sooner. But then, what’s the purpose behind using a random asteroid that hasn’t done anything to trigger an ROE response.

Can you imagine the OER bullet for that?
 
I thought it wasn’t heading towards earth? This is just a test on a random asteroid to see if their theory works.

Kinda feel sorry for the little guy. Just cruising around minding your own business and baaam! #asteroidlivesmatter

It is indeed going to miss the earth, but if we try to mess with it we probably will screw up a decimal place and send it straight in direct hit.
 
It is indeed going to miss the earth, but if we try to mess with it we probably will screw up a decimal place and send it straight in direct hit.
It'll come around like Haley's Comet in 100 years and they'll get to test it out when the stakes are high! Law of Unintended Consequences.
 
'we' aren't just hearing about it today. it's been on my party calendar for a while (like I need an excuse!). and it's not one of those "OMG we're in danger, send the DART!!". it's more of a test of the functionality.

BUT, leave it up to an aviation youtuber to blow this out of proportion and make an overly dramatic video about it!

It's been on my radar too for a bit....
and I've had a lingering thought all along ever since first hearing of the idea many years ago... texasclouds beat me to it...well kind of....

It is indeed going to miss the earth, but if we try to mess with it we probably will screw up a decimal place and send it straight in direct hit.

I wasn't thinking as much about the decimal point....I was thinking more about the unintended consequence of sending it someplace that wasn't even considered.....oops....it crashed into some other thing, which altered that thing's course just enough to crash into something else....so an and so forth....and boom.. some other thing hits the moon....well at least it didn't hit the Earth...oh no, now the tides are affected.... like a house of cards
 
It's been on my radar too for a bit....
and I've had a lingering thought all along ever since first hearing of the idea many years ago... texasclouds beat me to it...well kind of....



I wasn't thinking as much about the decimal point....I was thinking more about the unintended consequence of sending it someplace that wasn't even considered.....oops....it crashed into some other thing, which altered that thing's course just enough to crash into something else....so an and so forth....and boom.. some other thing hits the moon....well at least it didn't hit the Earth...oh no, now the tides are affected.... like a house of cards

Butterfly Effect on a intergalactic level, lol.
 
watching the live stream. Is it me, or are all these NASA events (and space x and the others) much cheesier that the NASA of old?
Maybe I'm wrong, but I have the feeling there was a lot more seriousness and precision in the control room. They all just look like amateur hour now days...
 
DAMN! That DART impact was more center-line on the asteroid than most of my landings, and aimed from about 1 billion times the distance :)
 
actually those last few crystal clear images up close were pretty awesome!
 
watching the live stream. Is it me, or are all these NASA events (and space x and the others) much cheesier that the NASA of old?
Maybe I'm wrong, but I have the feeling there was a lot more seriousness and precision in the control room. They all just look like amateur hour now days...
We lost a lot when we gave up short sleeve white shirts, thin ties, pocket protectors and slide rules.
 
actually those last few crystal clear images up close were pretty awesome!

Sure was!
It's amazing that there's people out there who can engineer spacecraft and communication systems to survive these sorts of environments and missions.
Meanwhile it took all of my wits and most of my cunning to unjam my printer this morning.
 
it as dead center but looked to me like it as going to be a glancing blow on that big rock. Should impart more of a rotational moment than a full on normal impact!

Also all this talk about seeing if we can move it, it ill "teach us" how, etc....
Isn't it basic physics that can be calculated...estimated mass of the asteroid, known kinetic energy applied = change of direction or speed.
 
If they're going to put on a little Space English on the 'roid, I hope they chalked up the Dart before it left.
 
Skip to 10:00. The first 9:59 is really freaking boring.
 
Isn't it basic physics that can be calculated...estimated mass of the asteroid, known kinetic energy applied = change of direction or speed.

Given it's a celestial body I imagine the tried-and-true Newtonian mechanics should prevail. But there's always unknown-unknowns you're trying to discover w.r.t equipment and your assumptions (and don't many of these objects roll kind of chaotically?)
... I also have a sneaking suspicion that "execution" is a significant portion of our reason for testing.

And in a real life defense scenario I'd sleep better at night knowing that we've tested this before... downside being that it won't matter how I sleep at night if we don't test it -- because i'll be sleeping forever when the asteroid hits.
 
I thought it wasn’t heading towards earth? This is just a test on a random asteroid to see if their theory works.

Kinda feel sorry for the little guy. Just cruising around minding your own business and baaam! #asteroidlivesmatter

Imagine the irony, the boys (and girls) at NASA change the trajectory on this test pass and unwittingly cause a galactic series of events to transpire whereby on the next pass this asteroid is on a collision course! Now, if it could be targeted to take out LA/SF or NYC... oh well.
 
"Hit something hard, I don't want to limp away from this son of a *****"
-Ron White
When we went to yellowstone, the kids were freaking out about it being a volcano. I explained to them that if it was going to blow up, we'd be better off if it happened while we were there. I'm not sure that really helped though :dunno:
 
Imagine the irony, the boys (and girls) at NASA change the trajectory on this test pass and unwittingly cause a galactic series of events to transpire whereby on the next pass this asteroid is on a collision course!...
Interesting theoretical question similar to autonomous vehicles deciding how minimize the loss of human life. Assuming the technology progresses to this level of precision, imagine an asteroid being detected too late and then countries each trying to nudge it to hit a different place on earth?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top