TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (MNTV) — NASA has honored two scientists from the Mirzo Ulughbek Astronomical Institute for their contributions to an international space mission that successfully altered the orbit of an asteroid.
According to the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, Otabek Burkhonov, head of the Galactic Astronomy Laboratory, and Kamoliddin Ergashev were recognized for their work on the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART mission.
The DART mission marked the first human attempt to intentionally change the trajectory of an asteroid as part of planetary defense research.
On Sept. 26, 2022, a spacecraft deliberately collided with Dimorphos, the smaller body orbiting the asteroid Didymos. The kinetic impact shortened Dimorphos’ orbital period, a change confirmed through observations by ground and space-based telescopes.
Scientists from the Uzbek institute participated in the mission’s ground observation campaign, using telescopes at the Maidanak Observatory to conduct photometric measurements before and after the collision. Their work helped determine the precise shift in the asteroid system’s orbital period.
NASA awarded Burkhonov and Ergashev the agency’s Group Achievement Award, which recognizes significant scientific contributions and international collaboration in space research.