Deflection method · Demonstrated
Kinetic Impactor
Crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid at high speed to nudge its orbit — and getting an extra push from the plume of debris thrown off. NASA's DART did exactly this to the moonlet Dimorphos in 2022, measurably shortening its orbit; ESA's Hera is on its way to study the result up close, arriving in late 2026.
Highlights
- ›Demonstrated by DART on Dimorphos in 2022
Surveys, missions & objects
Knowledge connections
- Associated withDeflection
- Associated withDART
- Associated withHera
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.