Final Images: A Farewell to Retired Space Probes

The final images transmitted by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) probe, moments before its intentional collision with the asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, have been revisited as part of a broader retrospective on the final moments of numerous space probes, according to a report published by Gizmodo Japan on February 21, 2026.

The DART mission was designed to test the feasibility of altering an asteroid’s trajectory, a capability that could be crucial in defending Earth against potential future impacts. The probe successfully impacted Dimorphos, a small moonlet orbiting the larger asteroid Didymos, at a closing speed of approximately 14,000 miles per hour. The last complete image sent by DART showed approximately 100 feet of Dimorphos’s surface just two seconds before impact. A subsequent, incomplete image captured the moment of collision as data transmission was interrupted.

Following the impact, scientists confirmed that the asteroid’s orbital period around Didymos had been shortened by 32 minutes, demonstrating the mission’s success. The DART probe was intentionally designed to be destroyed in the process, making these final images particularly poignant.

The Gizmodo Japan article frames the DART mission within a larger context of space exploration, noting that many probes are destined to meet their complete far from Earth after fulfilling their scientific objectives. The report too references the Hayabusa mission, suggesting its final images are also of note.

Separately, the Mars rover Perseverance recently captured an image of a meteorite on the Martian surface that resembles a sculpture, according to a report from Yahoo! News Japan. This discovery adds to a series of intriguing finds by the rover, including images resembling pasta and self-portraits.