NASA's DART Mission Successfully Alters Asteroid's Orbit and Shape

In a groundbreaking test, NASA's DART mission has significantly changed the trajectory and physical form of the asteroid Dimorphos, demonstrating a potential planetary defense mechanism.

NASA's DART spacecraft impacted Dimorphos in 2022, shifting its orbit and transforming it from a 'roughly symmetrical oblate spheroid' to a 'triaxial ellipsoid'.
The collision reduced Dimorphos' orbital period around its larger companion Didymos by approximately 33 minutes, indicating a successful alteration of its trajectory.
Dimorphos is now described as resembling an 'oblong watermelon', a change attributed to its composition as a 'rubble pile' asteroid.
Ground-based telescopes and radar data have provided precise measurements of the asteroid's post-impact shape and orbit, with further study expected from ESA's Hera mission in 2026.
The DART mission's success demonstrates the feasibility of kinetic impact as a method for planetary defense against potential asteroid threats.