NASA spacecraft to collide with asteroid to study planetary defense
![DART spacecraft](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V7jCcvYPxqVFuD4pAuBQaZ-415-80.jpg)
NASA is planning to smash a spacecraft into an asteroid 6.5 million miles away from Earth on Monday, in a study of one method of planetary defense.
The collision will test "whether deflecting a space rock could one day protect Earth from a potentially catastrophic impact," and the mission is the first of its kind, reports NBC News. The DART mission (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) is targeting a space rock called Dimorphos, which measures 525 feet across, and will send a spacecraft barreling toward the asteroid at 15,000 mph. Telescopes will determine whether Dimorphos was nudged out of its regular orbit, which could be a lifesaving feat if a major asteroid ever approached Earth.
The crash is planned for 7:14 p.m. ET Monday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Big Tech's answer for AI-driven job loss: universal basic income
In The Spotlight A new study reveals the strengths and limitations
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'I will not be silent' on Gaza, says Kamala Harris
Speed Read In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris supported Israel's right to defend itself while expressing a desire to end Palestinian suffering
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'How long can TikTok dominate as a social network?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Nasa's 'strangest find': pure sulphur on Mars
Under the Radar Curiosity rover discovers elemental sulphur rocks, adding to 'growing evidence' of life-sustaining elements on Red Planet
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
10 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From cell reparation to reef restoration
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
NASA, astronauts shrug off Starliner return trip delay
Speed Read Two astronauts are stuck on the International Space Station due to problems with Boeing’s Starliner
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What would a colony on the Moon look like?
Today's Big Question People could be living in lunar 'houses' by 2040, says Nasa
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Celestial events to watch in 2024
The Explainer Meteor showers, eclipses and more are coming to the skies
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
What is NASA working on?
In Depth A running list of the space agency's most exciting developments
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
This year's solar storms will help future Mars astronauts
The explainer Getting to the Red Planet requires planning and a whole lot of knowledge
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The best films and documentaries about space exploration
The Week Recommends The cosmos infiltrates Planet Earth's cinemas
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published