Space mission · NASA
DART
ExplorationCompletedLaunched 2021-11-24
Mission overview
DART was the first planetary-defence test, deliberately impacting the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos to change its orbit.
Outcome & discoveries
Successfully shortened Dimorphos's orbit, demonstrating asteroid deflection.
- ★First demonstration that a spacecraft impact can alter an asteroid's orbit
Mission profile
Knowledge connections
- Operated byNASA
- Launched byFalcon 9
- Launched fromVandenberg Space Force Base
- Visited65803 Didymos
- VisitedDimorphos
- Member of groupImpactor Mission
- Visited65803 Didymos
- ImpactedDimorphos
- Associated withSurface Operations & Sampling
- Associated withAIDA
- Tracked byDeep Space Network (DSN)
- Associated withOptical Navigation
- Associated withDART Alters an Asteroid's Orbit
- Associated withFirst Planetary Defence Demonstration
- Associated withDeflection
- Associated withKinetic Impactor
Related missions
| Mission | Type | Agency | Launch | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom 7 (Mercury-Redstone 3) | Crewed suborbital | NASA | 1961-05-05 | Completed |
| Friendship 7 (Mercury-Atlas 6) | Crewed orbital | NASA | 1962-02-20 | Completed |
| Apollo 8The Moon | Crewed lunar orbit | NASA | 1968-12-21 | Completed |
| Apollo 11The Moon | Crewed lunar landing | NASA | 1969-07-16 | Completed |
| Apollo 13The Moon | Crewed lunar (aborted) | NASA | 1970-04-11 | Completed |
| Apollo 17The Moon | Crewed lunar landing | NASA | 1972-12-07 | Completed |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.