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NASA craft collides with asteroid in test of planetary defense

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was the first mission to attempt to push a dangerous object out of the way by means of a direct experiment, according to space mission director Thomas Zurbuchen. Shortly after the collision at 2314 GMT Monday, NASA tweeted "impact success" as the "vending machine-sized spacecraft successfully collides with asteroid Dimorphos, which is the size of a football stadium" and poses no threat to Earth.

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Cheers then broke out in Nasa's control centre, with the team clapping and hugging each other. Until just before impact, it was uncertain whether the spacecraft, travelling at a speed of about 6.6 kilometres per second and on autopilot for the last few minutes, would actually hit the asteroid.