The NASA carefully evaluated its contingency plans in the event of a catastrophic cosmic event. The doctor Kelly Fastexpert in planetary defensepointed out the importance of detecting and monitoring asteroids dangerous before they posed a real threat to our planet. According to him, It is “essential to find these celestial bodies before they find us and be prepared to intervene if necessary”.
NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office He was engaged in the search for possible asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. Maintaining constant surveillance of space was crucial to foresee any risks and take proactive measures to protect our planet.
Dr. Fast explained that If an asteroid impact threat was identified years or decades in advance, there was the possibility of carrying out a diversion mission. However, he emphasized that the priority was to detect and monitor these asteroids effectively.
Should an impact threat be confirmed, NASA would issue an official notification, first addressed to the government of the affected country, before reporting globally and communicating it to the United Nations. According to current protocols, if the asteroid was years away, an attempt would be made to deflect it. However, if the timeframe was less than five years before the expected impact, the option of destroying the asteroid rather than attempting to deflect it would be considered..
In 2022, NASA carried out the mission Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), where an asteroid hit in deep space. This test was intended to test the effectiveness of the technology in diverting dangerous asteroids before they posed a threat to Earth. The results were promising and showed that it was possible to reduce the orbit of an asteroid in the event of an imminent impact.
During the mission, the DART spacecraft intentionally collided with the asteroid Dimorphos, a moon of a minor planet known as Didymos.. Although Dimorphos did not pose a threat at the time, this experiment demonstrated the ability to deflect the orbit of a space object. The asteroid was about 11 million kilometers from our planet at the time of impact, ensuring terrestrial safety during the experiment.
The results of the DART experiment were encouraging, as they managed to reduce the orbit of Dimorphos in a significant time. Although the initial goal was to reduce the orbit by 73 seconds, the impact of the DART spacecraft managed to shorten it by 32 minutes, showing the success of space technology in mitigating the risk of asteroid impact.
NASA revealed how long the perfect nap should last
Several scientists have already confirmed the benefits of naps, but now NASA answers the million-dollar question: how long should the perfect nap last? A study carried out by the space agency reveals interesting data about the ideal duration of a revitalizing break.
The NASA research was based on an analysis of the effectiveness of a cockpit rest period in improving alertness and performance on long-haul flights.. 21 crew members were divided into two groups: the rest group and the non-rest group. During a long flight, the rest group had the opportunity to take a scheduled 40-minute nap, while the other group continued with their normal activities.
Thus it was discovered thatThe pilots in the rest group took advantage of the nap 93% of the time, falling asleep in approximately 5.6 minutes and sleeping for about 25.8 minutes.. This short but effective nap proved beneficial in improving alertness and performance, especially at critical moments in flight.
The researchers highlighted that this scheduled nap did not affect usual nighttime sleep or cause disorders in the sleep cycle.. Additionally, they assured that procedures were implemented to ensure the safety of crew and passengers without compromising operational efficiency.
However, you have to be careful with the duration of the nap. Some studies have linked longer naps to health problems, such as an increase in body mass index and a greater predisposition to metabolic syndrome. Therefore, According to NASA experts, a nap of between 20 and 30 minutes can be optimal for improving cognition and mood without generating long-term negative effects.
