NASA acknowledged the contribution of specialists from the Mirzo Ulugbek Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan to the first mission in history to purposefully change the orbit of an asteroid. Candidates of Sciences Otabek Burkhonov and Kamoliddin Ergashev were awarded the "Group Achievement Award" for their participation in the "Double Asteroid Redirection Test" (DART) project.

The experiment, conducted on September 26, 2022, involved impacting the satellite of the small asteroid system Didymos – Dimorphos, which made it possible to change the orbital period of Dimorphos. The work of Uzbek astronomers included observations and precise calculations of changes using the telescopes of the Maidanak Observatory, which ensured confirmation of the mission's success.

NASA noted the importance of the Institute of Astronomy's participation in the international group, emphasizing that the results of the experiment confirmed the effectiveness of methods for protecting the planet from potential threats and strengthened international scientific cooperation in the space field.

Sources
uzdaily.uz

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