NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test, the first full-scale demonstration of planetary defense by kinetic impact, launched on 24 November 2021. The spacecraft deliberately collided with Dimorphos, the small moon of asteroid Didymos, on 26 September 2022, shortening Dimorphos's orbital period by about 32 minutes, far exceeding the mission's minimum success threshold and proving that a spacecraft impact can meaningfully deflect an asteroid.
Facts
Mission TypeRobotic planetary defense kinetic-impact mission 1 End DateDate of the spacecraft's deliberate impact with Dimorphos, ending the mission. OutcomeSuccessful; the impact shortened Dimorphos's orbital period by roughly 32 minutes, far exceeding the mission's success threshold and validating kinetic impact as a planetary defense technique. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia: Double Asteroid Redirection Test, lead sectionQuote, Wikipedia: Double Asteroid Redirection Test, lead section
It was designed to assess how much a spacecraft impact can deflect an asteroid by hitting it head-on.
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