NASA’s Dart mission successfully shifts asteroid’s orbit after deliberate crash
NASA has said a spacecraft that deliberately crashed into an asteroid last month has successfully shifted its orbit.
Findings of telescope observations showed that the suicide test flight of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) spacecraft on 26 September achieved its primary objective: to change the trajectory of the asteroid.
NASA attempted the first test of its kind to see if in the future a celestial object could be nudged out of Earth’s way.
Its success marks the first time humans have changed the motion of such an object.
“This is a watershed moment for planetary defence and a watershed moment for humanity,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said.
“This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us.”
The Dart probe hurtled into the egg-shaped asteroid Dimorphos as part of the first-ever trial of a “planetary defence system”.
The spacecraft carved a crater into the asteroid, hurling debris out into space and creating a cometlike trail of dust and rubble stretching several thousand miles.
Images released by NASA show the Dimorphos asteroid after the Dart spacecraft made impact.
The space agency says as new data comes in, astronomers will be able to better assess whether, and how, a mission like Dart could be used in the future if we ever discover an asteroid headed our way.
It took days of telescope observations to determine how much the impact altered the path of the 525ft (160m) asteroid around its companion, a much bigger space rock.
Read more:
Moment NASA spacecraft crashes into asteroid
An image from ATLAS Project (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) in Hawaii which appears to show Dart’s final moments as it impacted with Dimorphos. Pic: ATLAS Project
DART approaches Dimorphos
Launched last year, the vending machine-size Dart was destroyed when it slammed into the asteroid 7 million miles (11 million kilometres) away at 14,000mph (22,500kph).
The $330m (£300m) mission, which was seven years in development, targeted the asteroid, which was roughly the size of a football stadium and orbiting a parent asteroid about five times bigger called Didymos once every 11 hours, 55 minutes.
US Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated the team on Twitter after the space agency revealed the news.
The United States and European Union have agreed a trade deal, says Donald Trump.
The announcement was made as the US president met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland.
Speaking after talks in Turnberry, Mr Trump said the EU deal was the “biggest deal ever made” and it will be “great for cars”.
The US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods into America, after Mr Trump had threatened a 30% levy.
He said there will be an EU investment of $600bn in the US, the bloc will buy $750bn in US energy and will also purchase US military equipment.
Mr Trump had earlier said the main sticking point was “fairness”, citing barriers to US exports of cars and agriculture.
He went into the talks demanding fairer trade with the 27-member EU and threatening steep tariffs to achieve that, while insisting the US will not go below 15% import taxes.
For months, Mr Trump has threatened most of the world with large tariffs in the hope of shrinking major US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including the EU.
Ms von der Leyen said the agreement would include 15% tariffs across the board, saying it would help rebalance trade between the two large trading partners.
In case there was no deal and the US had imposed 30% tariffs from 1 August, the EU has prepared counter-tariffs on €93bn (£81bn) of US goods.
Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen described Mr Trump as a “tough negotiator and dealmaker”.
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At least 11 people have been stabbed at a Walmart supermarket in Michigan, with six in a critical condition.
Officials say a suspect is in custody – and at this stage, it is believed the attack was a “random act” that involved a folding-style knife near the checkout area.
Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters: “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”
Pic: AP
The suspect, who is from Michigan, is not known to police – and was captured within three minutes thanks to “citizen involvement”.
The attack unfolded in Traverse City – and Tiffany DeFell, who was in the car park at the time, described scenes of chaos.
“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies.”
Beyond the six people in a critical condition, it is believed the remaining five were seriously hurt. All 11 are still being treated in hospital.
Pic: AP
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”
A Walmart spokesperson added that the retailer is working closely with law enforcement.
“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a statement said.
Pic: AP
At this stage, the ages of the victims is unclear – but it is not thought any of the victims were Walmart employees.
Traverse City is about 255 miles northwest of Detroit.
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