NASA's asteroid deflection test for planetary defence even more successful than we thought

Muzammil Hussain March 17, 2026

A small rocky gray egg shaped sphere on the left and a much larger rocky gray egg shaped sphere on the right against a black blackground

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission not only altered an asteroid’s orbit but, for the first time, a new study shows we also successfully changed the asteroids' path around the sun.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission not only altered an asteroid’s orbit but, for the first time, a new study shows we also successfully changed the asteroids' path around the sun. A small rocky gray egg shaped sphere on the left and a much larger rocky gray egg shaped sphere on the right against a black blackground

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission not only altered an asteroid’s orbit but, for the first time, a new study shows we also successfully changed the asteroids' path around the sun.