NASA's DART asteroid-slamming mission builds on tiny diamond-tipped tool tech - Space.com

A diamond-tipped nanoindenter tool has helped researchers measure the hardness and elasticity of asteroid samples, aiding in preparations for NASA's DART mission.

A NASA spacecraft is on its way to slam into a space rock, but what happens next is still unclear. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART ) mission launched in November and will arrive at its d… [+4387 chars]

full article...