NASA is about to launch a spacecraft with a daring mission: To crash into an asteroid to test our planetary defense options. Here’s how to watch the launch.
NASA is about to launch a spacecraft with a daring mission: To crash into an asteroid, in order to test our planetary defense options. The mission, dubbed DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test), will head toward a pair of asteroids called Didymos and Dimorphos and will crash into the smaller one in an attempt to knock it off-course. Don’t worry — the asteroid pair doesn’t actually threaten Earth — but this test will demonstrate what defense options Earth might have if an incoming body threatened our planet. The launch of DART is scheduled for 1:20 a.m. ET on Wednesday, November 24 (10:20 p.
