Space and Astronomy Atlas

How The Universe Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Missions and Programs

DART Mission

Robotic Outer Solar System and Small-Body Missions

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test, the first full-scale demonstration of planetary defense by kinetic impact, launched on 24 November 2021. The spacecraft deliberately collided with Dimorphos, the small moon of asteroid Didymos, on 26 September 2022, shortening Dimorphos's orbital period by about 32 minutes, far exceeding the mission's minimum success threshold and proving that a spacecraft impact can meaningfully deflect an asteroid.

Facts
Mission Type
Robotic planetary defense kinetic-impact mission 1
Launch Date
2021-11-24 1
End Date
2022-09-26 1
Date of the spacecraft's deliberate impact with Dimorphos, ending the mission.
Outcome
Successful; the impact shortened Dimorphos's orbital period by roughly 32 minutes, far exceeding the mission's success threshold and validating kinetic impact as a planetary defense technique. 1
Target
Small Bodies 2
Outcome
Success 2
Crewed
No 3
Mission Type
Mission Type (category)
Robotic / Uncrewed Mission 1
Connections

Operated By

NASA, Space Agencies and Companies
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Additional Source Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Wikipedia)Wikipedia: Double Asteroid Redirection Test, lead section
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Mission Type (category): Robotic / Uncrewed Mission
  • Mission Type: Robotic planetary defense kinetic-impact mission
  • Launch Date: 2021-11-24
  • End Date: 2022-09-26
  • Outcome: Successful; the impact shortened Dimorphos's orbital period by roughly 32 minutes, far exceeding the mission's success threshold and validating kinetic impact as a planetary defense technique.
2. Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Wikipedia)
  • Lead paragraph
    The target asteroid, Dimorphos
  • Lead paragraph, outcome
    the DART spacecraft collided with Dimorphos at 14,000 mph
  • Wikipedia: Double Asteroid Redirection Test, lead section
    It was designed to assess how much a spacecraft impact can deflect an asteroid by hitting it head-on.
View the Source
3. Orbit Codex: DART (Orbit Codex probe page)
Orbit CodexProbe page lead
Quote, Probe page lead
DART is a completed NASA impactor probe to Dimorphos, built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).
View the Source
DART Mission (Wikipedia)
In Group: NASA Outer Solar System and Small-Body Missions, Lead sentence
Quote, In Group: NASA Outer Solar System and Small-Body Missions, Lead sentence
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was a NASA space mission to test a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects (NEOs).
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.