![]() Instead, DART tried to change the asteroid's speed and path in space. The spacecraft is about 100 times smaller than Dimorphos, so it didn't obliterate the asteroid or blow it into pieces. The spacecraft accelerated to more than 13,421 miles per hour (21,600 kilometers per hour) when it collided with Dimorphos - effectively ending the DART mission. The valuable data collected by DART will contribute to planetary defense strategies, especially the understanding of what kind of force can shift the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid that could collide with our planet. No asteroids are currently on a direct impact course with Earth, but more than 27,000 near-Earth asteroids exist in all shapes and sizes. Detecting the threat of near-Earth objects that could cause grave harm is a primary focus of NASA and other space organizations around the world. Near-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with an orbit that places them within 30 million miles (48.3 million kilometers) of Earth. The mission will allow scientists to have a better understanding of the size and mass of each asteroid, which is crucial to our understanding of near-Earth objects. The double-asteroid system is visible through ground-based telescopes as a single point of light, but DART provided our first look - in exquisite detail - at Dimorphos. ![]() The asteroid system poses no threat to our planet, making it a perfect target to test out a kinetic impact - which may be needed if an object is ever on track to hit Earth. The DART spacecraft headed for Dimorphos, a small moon orbiting the near-Earth asteroid Didymos. The mission was also the world’s first full-scale demonstration of deflection technology that could protect the planet. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test was the first time that humanity sent a spacecraft to measurably change the orbit of a celestial body. Published SeptemUpdated September 27, 2022 Learn more about the spacecraft, its final destination and what it means. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, collided with Dimorphos on September 26 at 7:14 p.m. One spacecraft’s journey to test Earth’s planetary defenses A NASA spacecraft intentionally crashed into an asteroid’s moon to see how it affects the motion of an asteroid in space.
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