Explorer

History Is Made: NASA's DART Spacecraft Crashes Into Asteroid In World's First Planetary Defence Test

DART successfully collided with asteroid Dimorphos at around 4:44 am IST on Tuesday, September 27. The spacecraft’s DRACO instrument captured images of Dimorphos as DART approached the asteroid.

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft has made history by crashing into an asteroid, marking the successful completion of the world's first planetary defence test. DART successfully collided with asteroid Dimorphos at around 4:44 am IST on Tuesday, September 27. The spacecraft’s DRACO (Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for optical navigation) instrument captured images of Dimorphos as DART approached the asteroid. Moments before the crash, DRACO imaged the rocky terrain of Dimorphos, which is a football-sized asteroid. 

Dimorphos, which is a part of a binary, near-Earth asteroid system called Didymos, posed no threat to Earth. DART demonstrated a first-of-its-kind planetary defence technique by deflecting Dimorphos. This is the world's first mission to test technology for defending Earth against potential asteroid or comet hazards. 

All About DART's Target

Before DART’s impact with Dimorphos, the asteroid orbited Didymos, the other asteroid in the binary system. Didymos has a diameter of around 780 metres, and is located at a distance of 487,446,221 kilometres from Earth. Smaller in size, Dimorphos had a diameter of around 160 metres. This binary asteroid system Didymos was DART's target. 

Though Dimorphos posed no threat to Earth, DART was made to collide with it to change the asteroid's speed and path, as a test of NASA's ability to achieve a kinetic impact on an asteroid and observe its response.

NASA selected Dimorphos because it did not pose any threat to Earth, and hence, served as the perfect testing ground to see if the intentional crash of a spacecraft into an asteroid is effective in changing its speed and direction. 

What Is Next?

History Is Made: NASA's DART Spacecraft Crashes Into Asteroid In World's First Planetary Defence Test
The results of DART's kinetic impact with Dimorphos will be analysed by the DART Investigation Team. The team will use telescopes on Earth to study how much the spacecraft's impact changed the asteroid's motion in space. Photo: NASA

 

The results of DART's kinetic impact with Dimorphos will be analysed by the DART Investigation Team. The team will use telescopes on Earth to study how much the spacecraft's impact changed the asteroid's motion in space. 

DART was launched on November 24, at 1:20 am EST (November 24, at 10:50 am IST) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. 

Since the DART mission is successful, it is expected to provide important data to help Earth better prepare for an asteroid that might pose a threat to the planet in the future.

View More
Advertisement

IPL Auction 2025

Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Virat Kohli
₹21 CR
Josh Hazlewood
₹12.50 CR
Phil Salt
₹11.50 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rishabh Pant
₹27 CR
Nicholas Pooran
₹21 CR
Ravi Bishnoi
₹11 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Jasprit Bumrah
₹18 CR
Suryakumar Yadav
₹16.35 CR
Hardik Pandya
₹16.35 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Heinrich Klaasen
₹23 CR
Pat Cummins
₹18 CR
Abhishek Sharma
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad
₹18 CR
Ravindra Jadeja
₹18 CR
Matheesha Pathirana
₹13 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Shreyas Iyer
₹26.75 CR
Arshdeep Singh
₹18 CR
Yuzvendra Chahal
₹18 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Sanju Samson
₹18 CR
Yashaswi Jaiswal
₹18 CR
Riyan Parag
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Venkatesh Iyer
₹23.75 CR
Rinku Singh
₹13 CR
Varun Chakaravarthy
₹12 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rashid Khan
₹18 CR
Shubman Gill
₹16.50 CR
Jos Buttler
₹15.75 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Axar Patel
₹16.50 CR
KL Rahul
₹14 CR
Kuldeep Yadav
₹13.25 CR
View all
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

'Disturbance As Parliament Strategy Threatens Democracy': Jagdeep Dhankhar On Day After Adjournment
'Disturbance As Parliament Strategy Threatens Democracy': Jagdeep Dhankhar On Day After Adjournment
Eknath Shinde Resigns As Maharashtra CM Amid Suspense Over Mahayuti's CM Pick
Eknath Shinde Resigns As Maharashtra CM Amid Suspense Over Mahayuti's CM Pick
Sambhal Clashes: SP Poster Slamming Yogi Government Sparks Fresh Row
Sambhal Clashes: SP Poster Slamming Yogi Government Sparks Fresh Row
England Announce Playing 11 For 1st NZ vs ENG Test, Jacob Bethell To Make Debut
England Announce Playing 11 For 1st NZ vs ENG Test, Jacob Bethell To Make Debut
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

FIR Filed Against Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman, Statement Released Amidst ControversyFIR Filed Against Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman and Local MLA's Son in Controversial CaseSambhal Violence Sparks Political Firestorm, Congress MP Imran Masood's Strong Remarks | ABP NewsBreaking News: SP Leader Ram Gopal Yadav Reacts to Sambhal Violence | ABP News

Photo Gallery

Embed widget