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DART Augmented Reality (AR) Experience

Explore and manipulate the DART spacecraft on your computer screen or access an AR version of the spacecraft on your cell phone.

Simply open and scan the Augmented Reality QR code from the screen, then point your phone to view and explore the DART spacecraft now! It’s the perfect way to virtually experience the DART spacecraft from any location.

View the Mobile AR Experience

Once the spacecraft is in position on your phone, don’t forget to take a picture or screenshot to share with your friends! Use the hashtags #DARTMission, #PlanetaryDefense, #PlanetaryDefenders

Navigation Tips and Tricks:

  1. After you open the AR experience on your phone, you will see the image of a small DART spacecraft. This image will become full-scale after you have successfully scanned the room or space.
  2. Use 2 fingers to make the spacecraft larger or smaller.
  3. Use 2 fingers to move the space craft up/down (vertically).
  4. Use 1 finger to move the spacecraft forward/backward or left/right.
  5. Once the spacecraft is in position, take a picture or screenshot to share with your friends! Use the hashtags #DARTMission, #PlanetaryDefense, #PlanetaryDefenders

DART 3D Printable Models

DART Spacecraft Model

What better way to explore the DART spacecraft than by having your own 3D-printed model?

With these downloadable files, you can print the body of the spacecraft and the solar arrays. The main body of the DART spacecraft is a box with dimensions of roughly 1.2 × 1.3 × 1.3 meters (3.9 × 4.3 × 4.3 feet), from which other structures extend to result in measurements of roughly 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) in width, 1.9 meters (6.2 feet) in length, and 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) in height. DART has two very large solar arrays that when fully deployed are each 8.5 meters (27.9 feet) long.

To complete the model, simply glue the solar arrays onto the spacecraft at the points shown in the diagrams below.

Attach Array A

Attach Array B

Fully Assembled

Downloadable Files

LICIACube Spacecraft Model

With this downloadable file, you can print the LICIACube spacecraft.

LICIACube stands for the Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids, and it was contributed by the Italian Space Agency. LICIACube rode along with the DART spacecraft until 15 days prior to DART’s impact, at which time it was released. LICIACube’s closest flyby of the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos was roughly 3 minutes after DART’s impact, and it captured images of DART’s collision and the resulting ejecta. LICIACube is a 6U CubeSat, with a size of the main spacecraft body of 20 cm x 10 cm x 34 cm (7.9 in x 3.9 in x 13.4 in).

Downloadable Files

Asteroids

You can explore the double asteroid system that is the target of the DART mission with your own 3D-printed model.

With these downloadable files, you can print the larger asteroid Didymos, the smaller asteroid Dimorphos, and the pieces needed to build a stand that allows Dimorphos to orbit around Didymos.

DART DRACO and LICIACube images have been used to determine the shapes of the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos! Now, you can download those post-impact files to update your pre-impact model! The shape of Didymos prior to DART data was determined by Arecibo radar observations taken in 2003. Prior to DART data, the shape of Dimorphos was largely unknown.

Model pieces, unassembled

Assembled double asteroid system model

Downloadable Files

3D-Printed Pre-DART Asteroid System Model: The pieces shown in this example photo were 3D-printed at the following sizes, given as length x width x height in inches. Stand base: 6.0x6.0x3.0 in; Didymos: 5.27x5.29x5.0 in; Dimorphos: 1.35x1.03x0.85 in; Central rod: 0.5x0.5x7.0 in; Spinning ring: 0.76x0.076x0.18 in; Rod to attach Dimorphos: 7.56x0.13x4.56 in.

Toy Bricks Model

About This Project:

Youth engineering design challenges are sweeping learning spaces worldwide. The FIRST LEGO League Challenge program, for example, involved over 318,000 9-to-16-year-olds on 38,609 teams in its 2019 competition alone.

The DART mission capitalized on this momentum by challenging the award-winning Morgantown Area Robotics (MARS) team to design and build a model of the DART spacecraft with toy bricks. More than a dozen middle school, high school and college students from the MARS team accepted the challenge and worked on a design under the guidance of physicists, roboticists, engineers and outreach specialists from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab – where the real DART was built.

About the Toy Bricks Model:

Enjoy this 1/12 scale model of the DART spacecraft made out of toy bricks! At this scale, the solar arrays were too large to build out of toy bricks. To solve this problem, the student team recommended creating solar arrays that can be printed on paper, card stock or foam board, and attaching them to the body of the toy brick model. See the instructions and downloadable PDF below.

How to View the Model and Generate Building Instructions:

The student design team used LDD software to create the DART model and to generate a building guide.

How to Download and Print the Solar Arrays:

At 1/12 scale, the solar arrays are too large to build out of toy bricks. However, you can download the following PDF and simply print it on paper, card stock or foam board.

  • Download the 'Solar Arrays' PDF
  • When printing to the proper scale, make sure that you select 100% and/or select "Poster" under "Page Sizing & Handling" (if available).
  • Attach or arrange the solar arrays on either side of the toy bricks model.

About the Mountaineer Area Robotics Team:

The Mountaineer Area Robotics program is committed to advancing STEM education in Appalachia by mentoring kindergarten through undergraduate youth in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics programs. It works with a dozen FIRST LEGO League teams in north-central West Virginia and operates a high-school program that includes youth from four counties. Of the 30 to 40 high school students who participate in Mountaineer Area Robotics, nearly half were members of FIRST LEGO League teams. Working with the middle and high school students are over 30 adult volunteer mentors, including Mountaineer Area Robotics alumni who are pursuing STEM degrees in higher education.

For more information about this model and how it was designed, contact Earl Scime.

Learn more about the award-winning at http://marsfirst.org

Note: Mention of any particular products or services on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of those products or services from NASA, the DART mission team, or the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

About the DART Spacecraft:

Learn more about the DART spacecraft including its payload instruments and technologies:

Using a Telescope at Home to Observe Didymos

While members of the DART team will be obtaining and analyzing high-precision data through large telescopes, the DART target asteroid system should be visible in smaller telescopes as it moves across the sky from August 2022 to January 2023. During this time, the Didymos asteroid system will still be too faint to observe through an eyepiece with an eight-inch telescope. However, telescopes of that size can capture Didymos when combined with a imaging camera.

Download the brochure for more details about observing Didymos!

DART Impact Watch Party Resources

While DART’s successful impact has passed, with over a million concurrent viewers tuning in to the NASA broadcast live from all across the world, the items and activities collected to support hosting watch parties remain valuable resources for sharing the DART mission. This Watch Party Kit compiles a comprehensive list of activities, decorations, and media to share the DART mission for audiences of all ages.

Watch the Live Stream Footage from Impact Day

When: Monday, September 26, 2022

Time of Impact: 7:14 p.m. EDT

Provide Hands-on Activities

DART AR Experience

Explore and manipulate the DART spacecraft on your computer screen or access an augmented reality (AR) version of the spacecraft on your cell phone. It’s the perfect way to virtually experience the DART spacecraft from any location.

DART 3D Printable Spacecraft Model

What better way to explore the DART spacecraft than by having your own 3D-printed model? With these downloadable files, you can print the body of the spacecraft and its solar arrays.

DART 3D Printable Asteroid Model

You can explore the double-asteroid system that is the target of the DART mission with your own 3D-printed model. With these downloadable files, you can print the larger asteroid, Didymos, the smaller asteroid, Dimorphos, and the pieces needed to build a stand that allows Dimorphos to orbit around Didymos.

DART Toy Bricks Model

Enjoy this 1/12-scale model of the DART spacecraft made out of toy bricks! At this scale, the solar arrays are too large to build out of toy bricks–so the student team that designed the model created solar arrays that can be printed on paper, card stock or foam board, and attached to the body of the toy brick DART.

Eyes on Asteroids

With NASA’s Eyes on Asteroids, you can watch all the known near-Earth asteroids and comets as they orbit the Sun. Updated twice daily with the latest tracking data, the web-based application will automatically add new near-Earth object discoveries for you to explore.Don’t forget to do a search for the DART spacecraft trajectory!

Watch and Share DART Videos and Animations