One giant step for planetary defence

NASA crashes spacecraft into asteroid to change its course

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

NASA has successfully crashed a spaceship into an asteroid seven million miles from Earth.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test Mission intentionally smashed into a space rock in the first-ever trial of a "planetary defence system".

It was the first time in history NASA changed the motion of a natural celestial body in space.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson hailed the mission, calling the project a "giant step in planetary defence"." After the successful strike on the rock Dimorphos, DART mission staff erupted in celebration.

"We're embarking on a new era of humankind, an era in which we potentially have the capability to protect ourselves from something like a dangerous, hazardous asteroid impact," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division.