Overview
On September 26, 2022, NASA’s DART spacecraft intentionally crashed into asteroid Dimorphos at 14,000 mph, successfully altering its orbit. #DARTAsteroidMission celebrated humanity’s first planetary defense test — proving we could deflect an asteroid threatening Earth.
Significance
DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) targeted Dimorphos, a 530-foot moonlet orbiting asteroid Didymos. The impact changed Dimorphos’s orbital period by 32 minutes — far exceeding the 73-second minimum needed to declare success. The mission demonstrated that kinetic impact could deflect potentially hazardous asteroids.
Viral Impact
NASA livestreamed the final approach, with the spacecraft’s camera showing Dimorphos growing larger until impact. The feed’s sudden cut to static as DART smashed into the asteroid became an iconic moment. Ground telescopes captured the debris cloud spreading into space — visible proof of the collision’s success.
Planetary Defense
The mission addressed Hollywood-style “save the world from asteroid” scenarios with real science. While no known asteroids currently threaten Earth, NASA tracks 30,000+ near-Earth objects. DART proved that given sufficient warning (years, not weeks), humanity could prevent catastrophic impacts.
Sources: