Riding atop a Pegasus vehicle. NASA's Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology.
or DART. spacecraft successfully launched on April 15. 2005. from Vandenberg Air Force Base. California.
Approximately 11 minutes after launch. the spacecraft was delivered to its initial
orbit and successfully completed the on-orbit checkout.
The DART spacecraft's 24-hour mission was to demonstrate technologies required to locate
and autonomously rendezvous with another craft in space using only computers and sensors.
It was to perform a series of maneuvers in close proximity to a communications satellite no longer in use.
In attempting to navigate toward the intended rendezvous satellite.
DART depleted all of its fuel and incidentally collided with the satellite.
As a result. DART did not complete its intended mission.