NASA spacecraft crashes into asteroid in test
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft
rammed an asteroid at blistering speed Monday in an unprecedented
dress rehearsal for the day a killer rock menaces
Earth.
The galactic slam occurred at a harmless asteroid
7 million miles away, with the spacecraft named Dart
plowing into the space rock at 14,000 mph. Scientists
expected the impact to carve out a crater, hurl streams of
rocks and dirt into space and, most importantly, alter the
asteroid’s orbit.
“We have impact!” Mission Control’s Elena Adams announced,
jumping up and down and thrusting her arms skyward.