NASA Successfully Crashes Spacecraft Into Asteroid

Facts

• On Monday, NASA successfully crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid to test the agency's ability to defend Earth from dangerous asteroids.
• The spacecraft collided with the asteroid Dimporphos 6.8M miles from Earth at 15K mph in a mission known as DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test). The intent was to see if a near-Earth asteroid could be successfully deflected.
• Dart mission scientists described the collision as a success but clarified that it won't be until next month that results show if the spacecraft achieved its ultimate purpose of altering the asteroid's trajectory.
• Scientists said that Dimorphos poses no threat to Earth. The goal of the test was to see if the collision could slightly shorten the time it takes Dimorphos to orbit around a larger asteroid.
• The test was part of a larger effort by NASA to identify and prepare for any possible threats to Earth. The agency hopes to launch an asteroid-specific space telescope, called NEO ["Near Earth Object"] Surveyor, which could launch in 2026 or 2028, depending on Congressional funding.

Sources: Guardian, BBC News, Reuters, Verge, and NPR Online News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Washington Post. While this mission may seem aimed at combating a far-fetched hazard, defending the planet from asteroids is incredibly important. Investing in planetary defense missions like DART brings us closer to preventing catastrophic events that have changed the course of life on Earth many times in the past.
• Narrative B, as provided by Scientific American. If NASA is going to invest taxpayer funds into a low-probability, a high-impact threat like deflecting asteroids, a good offense is better than a strong defense. This means developing an aggressive early warning system and even being able to pulverize potential intruders. Asteroid defense is an expensive undertaking, so let's get it right.