Technion researchers are partners in the HERA space mission: first attempt in history to divert an asteroid from its orbit
Asteroids and comets are of great interest both for reasons related to scientific curiosity and the fear of their collision with Earth. This possibility is presented in various dystopia films including "Don't Look Up" and "Fatal Injury", but in fact it is a real threat that is being studied by many experts in the world. In order to deal with the aforementioned threat, an accurate detection of the bodies that may be on a collision course with the Earth is required and appropriate methods are needed to divert them. Several international organizations dealing with this issue have outlined a course of action that includes four components: identification, calculation of a route, assessment of the risk of a collision and formulation of coping methods. In view of the last section, two dedicated space missions emerged, the American DART and the European HERA. At the international level, it should be noted, the DART and HERA missions were merged into the AIDA joint mission. The name of the mission is an abbreviation of Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment, i.e. hitting an asteroid to divert it from its orbit.
Dr. Uri Malamud from the Faculty of Physics The Technion participates in the HERA mission as part of an international team responsible for carrying out simulations of the collision. Prof. Hagai Peretz from the Faculty of Physics, an expert on bodies in the solar system, was awarded a grant from the Ministry of Science to promote Israel's participation in the mission as principal researcher, along with Dr. Malmud.
The Israeli team uses advanced theoretical methods to conduct simulations of the collision between the DART spacecraft and the asteroid. As part of a collaboration with a group from Germany, the researchers conducted state-of-the-art laboratory measurements using a dedicated system they developed. This system compresses porous material in a huge range of pressures, including extremely high pressures. The results of the measurements led to the delineation of a new and accurate compression curve, which is used for new simulations of the collision and should improve their accuracy. As part of the research, the lessons learned from the two space missions will further support the study of small bodies in the solar system in other contexts.
"Small bodies in the solar system are an important pillar in the study of planetary sciences," he explains Dr. Malamud. "They provide clues to the early formation of the solar system as well as to questions concerning the presence of water and various organic compounds necessary for the development of life. In addition, asteroids and comets also have commercial potential that may affect the future of humanity."
