Dimorphos
(65803) Didymos I · S/2003 (65803) 1
Introduction
- Type
- Natural satellite (moon) of near-Earth asteroid 65803 Didymos.Source: [1] Wikipedia
- Discovery
- Discovered: November 20, 2003 — Petr Pravec and colleagues, Ondřejov Observatory.Source: [1] Wikipedia
Physical
- Size
- Diameter: ≈ 170 m (560 ft); 177 m along its longest extent.Source: [2] NASA Science
- Mass
- Estimated mass: ≈ 5 × 10⁹ kg — assuming a density like Didymos's (not measured).Source: [1] Wikipedia
- Rotation
- Not measured in our sources.
- Surface composition
- Surface age: Less than 0.3 million years; Structure: Boulder-covered rubble pile.Source: [1] Wikipedia
- Moons
- None reported in our sources.
Orbit & access
- Orbit
- See the orbit section on our home page.
- Accessibility (Δv / travel time)
- Model assumptionAbout 7.0 km/s of ideal Δv from low Earth orbit (3.72 km/s to depart + 3.29 km/s to arrive), and about 0.8 years for an ideal transfer.Model calculation from our Space Resource Intelligence (SRI) sample report: ideal two-impulse Hohmann transfer with a plane change, no gravity assists. Real trajectories differ.
- Mission history
- DART impact: September 26, 2022, at ≈ 6.1 km/s; Change from DART: Orbit shortened by 33 minutes; Observed by: DART, LICIACube, Hubble, Webb and ground telescopes; ESA's Hera from November 2026.Source: [2] NASA Science, [3] Wikipedia
Resources & economy
- Believed resources
- Model assumptionOur model looks at bulk regolith for radiation shielding and construction feedstock. Usable fraction assumed at 0.5–0.9 of extracted material (bear to bull). Bulk regolith used with minimal processing (sorting/compaction) for shielding; SRI assumption.SRI sample-model assumption, not a measurement.
- Economic outlook
- Model assumptionScientific value now; any resource value is long-horizon option value. Our sample model gives an NPV of about −$1,981M (bear), −$959M (base) and $6,492M (bull).Model output from our SRI sample valuation model (launch, product value, transit, extraction and discount-rate inputs are scenario assumptions, not forecasts). Not investment advice.
- Business uses
- Information products, science partnerships, and a (very long-shot) in-space resource case. See the Business page. Open →