This is truly fantastic news for literally everyone and everything on Earth. Unqualified good stuff. Legitimately no downside to this.
Analysis of data obtained over the past two weeks by NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) investigation team shows the spacecraft's kinetic impact with its target asteroid, Dimorphos, successfully altered the asteroid's orbit. This marks humanity's first time purposely changing the motion of a celestial object and the first full-scale demonstration of asteroid deflection technology.
"All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet. After all, it's the only one we have," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us. NASA has proven we are serious as a defender of the planet. This is a watershed moment for planetary defense and all of humanity, demonstrating commitment from NASA's exceptional team and partners from around the world."
Now, look, of course we all know this isn't how we pictured this sort of thing playing out. Slamming a little spacecraft into a piddly little asteroid moonlet...it's hardly all that exciting. We all know how we wish it played out.
