Smashing a spacecraft into a binary asteroid system has managed to alter its path around the sun, a new analysis reveals

A 2022 NASA mission changed the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos around its companion. New data shows their joint orbit around the sun also changed.

Four years ago, NASA purposely smashed a spacecraft into a small asteroid to see if they could deflect it -- a test to prove humanity could protect Earth from threatening

A new study shows that, not only did the agency’s 2022 DART mission shift the orbit of the moonlet Dimorphos, it also changed the path of its parent asteroid around the sun.

NASA’s DART spacecraft impact with asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022 slightly changed the orbit of the Didymos–Dimorphos system around the Sun, according to a new study. Scientists found the system’s 770-day solar orbit shortened by about 0.

Debris flying immediately after DART collided with Dimorphos. (NASA DART team and LICIACube) In 2022, NASA made history, deliberately smashing a spacecraft into an asteroid to see if it could alter the object's orbit around its larger companion asteroid.

Crucially, the asteroid impacted by NASA's DART spacecraft never posed a threat to Earth. An international research team highlighted the significance, stating in Science Advances: "This study marks a notable step forward in our ability to prevent future asteroid impacts on Earth.