On Monday, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) successfully hit its asteroid target in the world's first planetary defense technology demonstration.
"DART's success provides a significant addition to the essential toolbox we must have to protect Earth from a devastating impact by an asteroid. This demonstrates we are no longer powerless to prevent this type of natural disaster."
- Lindley Johnson, NASA's Planetary Defense Officer
DART hit the asteroid Dimorphos and NASA will now observe if the impact altered the asteroid's orbit and measure how effectively DART deflected the asteroid.
The success of the DART mission demonstrates a viable mitigation technique for protecting the planet from potential Earth-bound asteroids or comets.
