The final moments of DART
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NASA\\u2019s latest mission, DART hit the headlines this week after the space agency\\u2019s satellite successfully collided with a far off asteroid. The mission acts as a demonstration of Earth\\u2019s first planetary defence system. Jon Amos, one of BBC\\u2019s Science correspondents, talks Roland through the final moments of the DART satellite. Although the collision was a success, we may have to wait a little longer before we know if the asteroid\\u2019s trajectory has been altered\\u2026
Simone Pirrotta, project manager at the Italian Space Agency, has more to add. His nifty camera system broke away 10 days before DART\\u2019s collision, ensuring its own survival. This celestial drive by is guaranteed to provide scientific data to get excited about.
Also this week, we visit the China Kadoorie Biobank. Twenty years in the making, it houses a collection of over half a million genetic samples, which might help identify links between our own genetic compositions and illness. Roland Pease visited them in Oxford to find out more.
Finally, a new review describes the use of mercury by ancient Mayans. The metal is famous for its use across a plethora of civilizations throughout history. Andrea Sella from University College London, tells Roland how his favourite element underpins industrialisation across the ages and the globe.
Image: An illustration of the DART spacecraft headed toward its target\\nCredit: NASA/John Hopkins APL
Presenter: Roland Pease\\nProducer: Harrison Lewis, Robbie Wojciechowski
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