A recent study confirms that the first asteroid deflection experiment changed not only the orbit of a small asteroid but also affected the solar orbit of the binary asteroid system.
In September 2022, NASA conducted the world's first asteroid deflection experiment called DART, wherein a spacecraft collided with the small asteroid Dimorphos, located 11 million kilometers from Earth. The aim was to change the orbit of Dimorphos, which is part of a binary asteroid system with a larger companion asteroid named Didymos. This collision successfully shortened the orbital period of Dimorphos by about 33 minutes, demonstrating the potential for future planetary defense strategies against asteroid impacts. The spacecraft used, weighing 570 kg and the size of a small refrigerator, impacted Dimorphos at a velocity of 6.25 km/s.
