While NASA's DART mission in 2022 was able to redirect killer asteroids away from Earth, there were apparently unintended consequences that could threaten the planet.
Some Italian astronomers discovered that when the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft smashed into Asteroid Dimorphos and changed its course, this actually led to a cloud of 37 new space rocks that shoots towards the Red Planet.
If one of the rocks were to crash into the planet, a crater that is roughly 200 to 300 meters wide could be created.
The astronomers also warned that if NASA has to make an asteroid change its collision trajectory with Earth in the future, it is important to think where the debris of the massive crash would go, as it could still end up hitting Earth. They urge that future missions that involve interactions with the surface material of an asteroid need to be planned carefully.
As for the 37 new rocks, they may potentially collide with Mars. The boulders span between four to seven meters in length.
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