The US space agency, NASA, announced that a spacecraft had deliberately succeeded in colliding with an asteroid with the aim of changing its course, in a precedent that is the first in human history.
The operation aims to test the effectiveness of defensive technology aimed at protecting the planet and humanity from any threats in the future.
The spacecraft, launched by NASA 10 months ago, reached a speed of about 21,600 kilometers per hour, approximately 11 million kilometers from Earth.
"NASA" transmitted the facts of this collision live, and as soon as the spacecraft hit the asteroid, the crew members exploded with joy at the mission supervision center in Maryland, in the United States.
Cameras on the spacecraft transmitted images of the orb showing every detail of Dimorphos, including its gray surface and the small pebbles covering it.
"We are about to enter a new era in which we have the potential ability to protect ourselves from the collision of dangerous asteroids," said Laurie Gleese, director of planetary sciences at NASA.
Demorvos, which is about 160 meters in diameter, poses no threat to Earth, is a moon orbiting another larger asteroid called Didymus.
It will take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to see if the trajectory of the small asteroid was actually altered by the impact.