The first-ever test of planetary defence by NASA's DART mission Hits Asteroid

DART Mission

The first planetary defence mission ever completed by NASA successfully impacted its target, the non-hazardous asteroid Dimorphos, at 7:14 p.m. ET.

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DART Mission

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) intends to show how a kinetic impactor can alter an asteroid's trajectory. At 14,000 mph (22,500 km/h), a spaceship the size of a vending machine purposely collided with an asteroid the size of a stadium.

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DART Mission

In the event that an asteroid is found, this test aims to demonstrate the viability of kinetic impact as a technology that might one day be used to stop it from striking the Earth. For the foreseeable future, there are no known asteroid threats to Earth.

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DART Mission

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DART Mission

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Image credit- NASA Instagram & stock images