DART engineers say "Ooops"

Image: DART rendezvous (note the look of panic on the face of the other satellite--"Stop!"), Technical schematic (illus. partial)
Info: Official NASA DART site

Apparently the DART (Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology) Spacecraft not only approached to within five meters of its intended target satellite, the Multiple Path Beyond Line of Site Communication (Mublcom) satellite, but it also bumped it into a higher orbit.

From a story on Space.com:

Orbital Sciences President J.R. Thompson, during an April 21 conference call on the company’s first-quarter earnings, told analysts that DART may have hit Mublcom.

“There is some data to suggest that indeed it got a lot closer [than 100 meters], and perhaps even touched the target,” Thompson said. “All other DART systems performed as expected.”

Thankfully neither craft was damaged and DART remains in an orbit that will allow it to safely burn-up on re-entry.