Daly, R TerikR TerikDalyErnst, Carolyn MCarolyn MErnstBarnouin, Olivier SOlivier SBarnouinChabot, Nancy LNancy LChabotRivkin, Andrew SAndrew SRivkinCheng, Andrew FAndrew FChengAdams, Elena YElena YAdamsAgrusa, Harrison FHarrison FAgrusaAbel, Elisabeth DElisabeth DAbelAlford, Amy LAmy LAlfordAsphaug, Erik IErik IAsphaugAtchison, Justin AJustin AAtchisonBadger, Andrew RAndrew RBadgerBaki, PaulPaulBakiBallouz, Ronald-LRonald-LBallouzBekker, Dmitriy LDmitriy LBekkerBellerose, JulieJulieBelleroseBhaskaran, ShyamShyamBhaskaranBuratti, Bonnie JBonnie JBurattiCambioni, SaverioSaverioCambioniChen, Michelle HMichelle HChenChesley, Steven RSteven RChesleyChiu, GeorgeGeorgeChiuCollins, Gareth SGareth SCollinsCox, Matthew WMatthew WCoxDeCoster, Mallory EMallory EDeCosterEricksen, Peter SPeter SEricksenEspiritu, Raymond CRaymond CEspirituFaber, Alan SAlan SFaberFarnham, Tony LTony LFarnhamFerrari, FabioFabioFerrari0000-0001-7537-4996Fletcher, Zachary JZachary JFletcherGaskell, Robert WRobert WGaskellGraninger, Dawn MDawn MGraningerHaque, Musad AMusad AHaqueHarrington-Duff, Patricia APatricia AHarrington-DuffHefter, SarahSarahHefterHerreros, IsabelIsabelHerrerosHirabayashi, MasatoshiMasatoshiHirabayashiHuang, Philip MPhilip MHuangHsieh, Syau-Yun WSyau-Yun WHsiehJacobson, Seth ASeth AJacobsonJenkins, Stephen NStephen NJenkinsJensenius, Mark AMark AJenseniusJohn, Jeremy WJeremy WJohnJutzi, MartinMartinJutzi0000-0002-1800-2974Kohout, TomasTomasKohoutKrueger, Timothy OTimothy OKruegerLaipert, Frank EFrank ELaipertLopez, Norberto RNorberto RLopezLuther, RobertRobertLutherLucchetti, AliceAliceLucchettiMages, Declan MDeclan MMagesMarchi, SimoneSimoneMarchiMartin, Anna CAnna CMartinMcQuaide, Maria EMaria EMcQuaideMichel, PatrickPatrickMichelMoskovitz, Nicholas ANicholas AMoskovitzMurphy, Ian WIan WMurphyMurdoch, NaomiNaomiMurdochNaidu, Shantanu PShantanu PNaiduNair, HariHariNairNolan, Michael CMichael CNolanOrmö, JensJensOrmöPajola, MaurizioMaurizioPajolaPalmer, Eric EEric EPalmerPeachey, James MJames MPeacheyPravec, PetrPetrPravecRaducan, Sabina-DenisaSabina-DenisaRaducanRamesh, K TK TRameshRamirez, Joshua RJoshua RRamirezReynolds, Edward LEdward LReynoldsRichman, Joshua EJoshua ERichmanRobin, Colas QColas QRobinRodriguez, Luis MLuis MRodriguezRoufberg, Lew MLew MRoufbergRush, Brian PBrian PRushSawyer, Carolyn ACarolyn ASawyerScheeres, Daniel JDaniel JScheeresScheirich, PetrPetrScheirichSchwartz, Stephen RStephen RSchwartzShannon, Matthew PMatthew PShannonShapiro, Brett NBrett NShapiroShearer, Caitlin ECaitlin EShearerSmith, Evan JEvan JSmithSteele, R JoshuaR JoshuaSteeleSteckloff, Jordan KJordan KSteckloffStickle, Angela MAngela MStickleSunshine, Jessica MJessica MSunshineSuperfin, Emil AEmil ASuperfinTarzi, Zahi BZahi BTarziThomas, Cristina ACristina AThomasThomas, Justin RJustin RThomasTrigo-Rodríguez, Josep MJosep MTrigo-RodríguezTropf, B TeresaB TeresaTropfVaughan, Andrew TAndrew TVaughanVelez, DiannaDiannaVelezWaller, C DanyC DanyWallerWilson, Daniel SDaniel SWilsonWortman, Kristin AKristin AWortmanZhang, YunYunZhang2024-10-252024-10-252023-04https://boris-portal.unibe.ch/handle/20.500.12422/164626While no known asteroid poses a threat to Earth for at least the next century, the catalog of near-Earth asteroids is incomplete for objects whose impacts would produce regional devastation1,2. Several approaches have been proposed to potentially prevent an asteroid impact with Earth by deflecting or disrupting an asteroid1-3. A test of kinetic impact technology was identified as the highest priority space mission related to asteroid mitigation1. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is the first full-scale test of kinetic impact technology. The mission's target asteroid was Dimorphos, the secondary member of the S-type binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos. This binary asteroid system was chosen to enable ground-based telescopes to quantify the asteroid deflection caused by DART's impact4. While past missions have utilized impactors to investigate the properties of small bodies5,6, those earlier missions were not intended to deflect their targets and did not achieve measurable deflections. Here we report the DART spacecraft's autonomous kinetic impact into Dimorphos and reconstruct the impact event, including the timeline leading to impact, the location and nature of the DART impact site, and the size and shape of Dimorphos. The successful impact of the DART spacecraft with Dimorphos and the resulting change in Dimorphos's orbit7 demonstrates that kinetic impactor technology is a viable technique to potentially defend Earth if necessary.en500 - Science::530 - Physics500 - Science::520 - Astronomy600 - Technology::620 - Engineeringarticle10.48350/1794113685807310.1038/s41586-023-05810-5