Houston, we have a podcast.

Welcome to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center,

episode 215, redirecting asteroids.

I'm Gary Jordan, and I'll be your host today.

On this podcast, we bring in the expert, scientists,, astronauts, all to let you know what's going on in the world of human spaceflight.

Chances are you might have seen a doomsday movie in the past where an asteroid comes crashing into the modern earth with devastating effects.

Certainly not an unfounded idea.

Happened to the dinosaurs.

But you've probably wondered, what can we do to protect the planet from something like this.

Enter NASA's Dart Mission, D-A-R-T, stands for double asteroid

redirection test.

It's a planetary defense test mission, meaning we're going to try out some technologies and capabilities on a binary asteroid system that's not really a threat to the Earth, but will act as a good proving ground to learn how to redirect potentially hazardous asteroids.

So joining us is Dr. Thomas Statler,

Darts Program scientists based at NASA's headquarters in Washington.

Tom discusses more details into the overall mission

and technologies like smart

navigation, rollout solar arrays and xenon thrusters that will be used on

the mission.

Exciting stuff so let's get right into it.

Enjoy.

Enjoy. me. County. Mark. I'm a long, mid-life, sir, the red.

Here she goes.

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