DART mission's ejected boulders pose future challenges
NASA's DART spacecraft smashed into the tiny moon Dimorphos in 2022, not only changing its orbit but also kicking up about 100 big boulders—some moving with way more force than expected.
Turns out, asteroid impacts are messier and more complex than just a direct hit.
How the debris was scattered
A new study found those flying rocks formed two clear clusters, likely from two big boulders shattered by DART's solar panels.
Instead of just pushing straight ahead, most debris shot off sideways, possibly tweaking Dimorphos's orbit and spin in unpredictable ways.
More data needed to protect Earth from rogue asteroids
Scientists were surprised by how much extra momentum all that debris added—way more than old models predicted.
With ESA's Hera mission heading to check things out in 2026, we'll get better data to help protect Earth from rogue asteroids in the future.