Humans are currently grappling with numerous emerging threats on our planet, ranging from an ongoing pandemic to the long-term risks of climate change. But we are also vulnerable to forces beyond Earth, such as potential collisions with asteroids.

While these impacts rank relatively low in the scheme of likely apocalyptic scenarios, it is still vital to have a contingency plan in case a hazardous object does end up on a crash course with Earth. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which is due for launch in July 2021, is the latest mission to establish a game plan for this particular variety of doomsday. DART is tasked with slamming into a small asteroid to see whether it can be knocked off course—a strategy that could potentially be replicated for asteroids on a warpath with Earth.

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