NASA is set to crash an aircraft into an asteroid in what will be the world's first planetary defense test mission.
The agency says the purpose of the mission is to see if intentionally crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid will work in changing its course. The spacecraft, DART, will target an asteroid that is not a threat to Earth and will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch is scheduled to take place early Wednesday morning no earlier than 1:20 a.m. Eastern time.
Source: NPR