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Washington US space agency NASA launched a satellite early Wednesday that will be steered directly into an asteroid to alter its course, in the first mission of its kind.The planetary defence probe, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, took off at 10:21 pm Pacific time (0621 GMT) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.“Asteroid Dimorphos: we’re coming for you!” the US space agency tweeted.The satellite - which NASA says is the size of a vending machine - is due to smash into the Dimorphos asteroid in October next year, in what has been dubbed the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).Dimorphos, a moonlet whose diameter measures some 160 metres, does not pose a danger to Earth, according to NASA’s calculations - and the mission is designed to ensure that even after the impact, there would be no risk to the planet. (dpa)
