Nature Communications (Mar 2023)
Planetary defense with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and prospects
Abstract
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission intentionally impacted the asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, and this kinetic impact changed Dimorphos’ orbit around its binary companion Didymos. This first planetary defense test explored technological readiness for this method of asteroid deflection.