Scientists from Uzbekistan’s Academy of Sciences Astronomy Institute have received NASA’s Group Achievement Award for their contribution to the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.
The award was presented to Otabek Burkhonov, Head of the Galactic Astronomy Laboratory and Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and Kamoliddin Ergashev, PhD and Senior Researcher, for their role in the international planetary defense experiment.
The DART mission marked the first attempt in history to intentionally alter the orbit of an asteroid. On September 26, 2022, a spacecraft deliberately collided with Dimorphos, the smaller body orbiting the asteroid Didymos, in order to modify its orbital period. The impact successfully changed Dimorphos’ orbit around Didymos, and the alteration was subsequently measured using ground-based and space telescopes.
Scientists from the Astronomy Institute participated in the mission’s ground-based observation working group using telescopes at the Maidanak Observatory. Their primary task involved conducting photometric observations before and after the impact to calculate changes in the asteroid system’s orbital period.
The measurement results confirmed the success of the DART experiment and contributed to the scientific validation of the mission’s objectives. NASA’s Group Achievement Award is granted to teams whose collective efforts significantly advance mission goals.
The recognition highlights Uzbekistan’s participation in international space research and its contribution to global planetary defense initiatives.
Earlier, Uzbekistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with U.S.-based aerospace company Vast to expand cooperation in space technologies, including scientific research, personnel exchange and participation in international space programs.
Samarkand was reported to having been selected to host the International Astronautical Congress in 2028, marking the first time the global space forum will be held in Central Asia.
