NASA’s DART Spacecraft Changed An Asteroid’s Orbit Around The Sun
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NASA scientists have confirmed that a spacecraft can help change the path of an asteroid in space. This finding suggests that a dangerous asteroid headed toward Earth could be pushed off course if needed.
The discovery comes from NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. Its purpose was to try to change the path of an asteroid.
In September 2022, the spacecraft intentionally crashed into a small asteroid called Dimorphos. It orbits a larger asteroid named Didymos. Together, they form a binary system. This means the two objects are held together by gravity. This system was chosen because its motion is easy to track.
Early observations showed that the impact shortened Dimorphos’ orbit around Didymos by about 32 minutes. Part of this change came from the crash itself. The rest was caused by a cloud of rock and dust ejected from the asteroid.
More recent analysis revealed an additional effect. A study published in Science Advances in March 2026 found that the impact also slightly changed the system’s path around the Sun. The shift is tiny — about 1.7 inches (4.3 cm) per hour. Even so, small changes in space can grow over time. This is the first time scientists have measured a real change in an object’s path around the Sun.
"These results show that we can now confidently say we have the ability to push asteroids," says the study's lead author, Rahil Makadia.
Resources: NASA.gov, ScientificAmerican.com
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41 Comments
ori-the-dino4 daysAnyone think I should do this for a project?
flipz4 dayscool beans
fudgebrownie7 daysNah, I'm more of a SpaceX fan.
dodger-dog4 daysNASA is way cooler if you ask me
haileyrose4 daysme two
- zufakajekeri7 daysI THINK I THINK I THink this is really cool
sammyspider7 daysThis looks so cool and fun 🤩 Thank you for sharing this with us and sharing it with us and everyone who has been involved in this project
starlightmaster8 daysI think we skipped 20 years of reserch on space
gimkitlover8 daysCool!
suri02208 daysControlling asteroids is cool- zeremovomyni8 dayswow I this is a break trough.
- suri02208 daysAbility to push asteroids is so cool!☄️
