Nasa launches spacecraft to kick an asteroid off course

Nasa launched the DART, a spacecraft set on a collision course with an asteroid, in the first test of whether Earth can be protected from a potentially disastrous impact by slightly altering the trajectory of a space rock. — NASA via AP

A Nasa mission to deliberately smash a spacecraft into an asteroid – a test run should humanity ever need to stop a giant space rock from wiping out life on Earth – blasted off Tuesday from California.

It may sound like science fiction, but the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) is a real proof-of-concept experiment, which lifted off at 10.21pm Pacific Time Tuesday (0621 GMT Wednesday) aboard a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.