By Madhavi Pothukuchi
28 September, 2022
Image source: NASA
NASA successfully collided its DART spacecraft with an asteroid on 27 September 2022.
Image source: Alamy
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is the world’s first planetary defence test.
Image source: NASA
DART collided with Dimorphos, a harmless asteroid about 11 million kilometres away from Earth.
Image source: Alamy
Scientists at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory designed and launched DART from Earth in November 2021.
Image source: NASA
They hoped to make a crater in the asteroid and change its course.
Image source: NASA
This was the first attempt at testing defence tactics in case an asteroid was actually to hit Earth.
Image source: Alamy
NASA released footage of DART speeding toward the 530-foot asteroid at 22,500 kilometres per hour.
Image source: NASA
The collision was a success, but whether Dimorphus’ path was altered is yet to be seen.
Image source: NASA