In this case, they hit a moonlet of a bigger asteroïd. The orbit moonlet shifted a bit, but it never left the bigger asteroid. By studying exactly how much it shifted they teams behind this will learn more about how asteroids are affected by things like this.
DetlefKroeze t1_j4f7fqb wrote
Reply to comment by Doc891 in NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test Is a Smashing Success - Eos by donutloop
In this case, they hit a moonlet of a bigger asteroïd. The orbit moonlet shifted a bit, but it never left the bigger asteroid. By studying exactly how much it shifted they teams behind this will learn more about how asteroids are affected by things like this.