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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37 Comments
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luv_sushi28 daysThat's so cool
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landdog28 daysCOOL!!
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vanillahair28 daysI love this article so much information! the moon landing was fake tho :(- vanillahair28 daysWow my uncle works in NASA and he told me that a asteroid might hit earth in like 1 year. So scary! But its fine I love this article.
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