Nasa successfully crashes a spacecraft into an asteroid during a planetary defense test
Prasannkumar 
Agency seeks to prevent Earth from future catastrophes by bidding to alter the course of an asteroid.
In an unprecedented test of Nasa’s ability to protect Earth from doomsday scenarios, a multimillion-dollar spacecraft collided with an asteroid that was the size of a football field on Monday.
The craft of Nasa crashed into the asteroid Dimorphos at 6.8 miles from Earth. Dart (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) was humanity’s first attempt to move another celestial body. The goal was to see if an asteroid heading towards our planet could be diverted.
At 7.14pm EDT, the spacecraft collided at 15,000mph with the asteroid. The asteroid’s rubble-strewn surfaces were seen in live-streamed video before the spacecraft struck. There was a roar of approval from the mission control room. As Dart’s successful impact on Dimorphos was confirmed, scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Nasa hugged one another.
Soon after impact, Lori Glaze (director of Nasa’s planetary sciences division) declared it a new era for humankind.
Glaze stated, “[It is] an era when we potentially have the ability to protect ourselves against something like a dangerous hazardous impact asteroid.” It’s an incredible thing. This is something we’ve never seen before.
Samson Reony was the Johns Hopkins applied Physics laboratory mission commentator and was just as excited about the “game-changing” achievement. He said, “This is where science, engineering, and a great purpose – planetary defense – come together, and it makes a magic moment like this.”
This test will determine whether intentionally hitting a spacecraft into an asteroidal object is a good way to alter its trajectory. An unmanned spacecraft was used in a similar way, but a nuclear missile was used. This strategy was demonstrated during the pivotal moment of Morgan Freeman’s 1998 film Deep Impact about planetary disasters.
Dart scientists described their mission as a success at a press conference after the mission, but warned that it would be around two months before they can determine if the spacecraft achieved its ultimate goal of changing Dimorphos’s trajectory.
They described Monday as the “ideal outcome” of the first phase of the planetary defence test. Dart was “basically a bullseye on the asteroid,” Elena Adams, Dart deputy programme manager, said.
“We knew that we were going to hit. We all held our breaths. It’s a surprise that none of us fell asleep, I suppose.
She stated that the craft had landed 17 meters from its target, close enough to be considered a success. It was basically a bulls eye. As far as we know, the first planetary defense test was a success. We can clap for that.
It remains to be determined if the impact was strong enough to move the asteroid. Scientists will continue to monitor the asteroid’s movements and speed, as well as make calculations. Adams stated that Earthlings should be able to sleep better and he will.
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