DART mission targets asteroid Didymos B

[lordsummerisle]

earthsky.org

NASA will soon launch its first planetary defense test mission, called DART (Double Asteroid Redirect Test). The launch window will open on November 24, 2021. The goal of the DART mission is to strike a small asteroid and minutely change its orbit. In recent decades, it’s become clear that asteroids do have the potential to strike Earth and cause damage. The DART mission is a test run for when Earth is faced with an incoming asteroid that’s threatening our planet.

https://earthsky.org/space/dart-mission-strike-move-asteroid-launch-2021/

[Layzeebeaver]

1. We can do this now...

In Kerbal Space Program.

With the nasa DART add on.

Rather cool

[Igel]

2. All models are wrong.

But some are useful.

The trick is knowing when a model is useful and when it gets you killed. (Okay, there are less urgently "tricks," but that's gotta be the biggy.)

[SCantiGOP]

3. Possibly preventing our extinction

seems to be a worthy outlay of tax funds.