Spacecraft’s impact changed asteroid’s orbit around the sun in a save-the-Earth test, study finds

Associated Press (AP)EN 3 min read 100% complete by By MARCIA DUNNMarch 6, 2026 at 08:23 PM

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A NASA spacecraft's intentional impact with the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022 successfully altered its orbit around the sun, marking the first time a celestial body's solar orbit has been deliberately changed. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) aimed to test a method for deflecting potentially hazardous asteroids. Scientists confirmed that the impact reduced the asteroid pair's travel time around the sun by 0.15 seconds, shortening their 300-million-mile orbit by 2,360 feet. The research team, publishing in Science Advances, noted that even small deflections over long periods can significantly alter an asteroid's trajectory. The impact's effectiveness was doubled by the debris ejected from Dimorphos, providing additional momentum.