A recent study published in the Planetary Science Journal revealed that crashing a spacecraft into the asteroid moon Dimorphos caused chaotic movements of boulders and altered the space rock's orbit.
The impact of the spacecraft and the resultant ejected boulders carried significant momentum, complicating future asteroid deflection attempts.
Observations from the LICIACube spacecraft showed that the boulders were not randomly scattered, indicating the presence of unknown forces shaping their trajectories.
Insights from this study are crucial for planning future asteroid deflection missions, highlighting the importance of considering various variables to ensure mission success.