For one of the research papers I was doing for my class, I came across a journal article that suggested if Ganymede gets affected by planetary migration, with tidal heating from Jupiter and radiation from the Sun, the subsurface water on Ganymede would make its way to the surface through geysers and cryovolcanoes. Combined with the magnetosphere, an atmosphere could form, eventually starting a hydrological cycle similar to that on Earth and Titan.

I watched it live with an ice pack on my face at the ER. Fell off the couch face first into a coffee table. Ended up with my two front teeth pushed out and huge split lip.

There are five space treaties: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties.html. Article II of the Outer Space Treaty states no one owns moons or other celestial bodies, asteroids including. The Moon Agreement, the last of the treaties states it covers more than just the Moon and Article VII, Section I talks about disrupting the environment of the object, but it seems more geared towards changes and/or contamination.

I’m not sure, but maybe the idea of colliding with an asteroid to change its trajectory was not around at the time the space treaties were drafted. So outside of getting the proper approval for launch, registering the spacecraft, etc… there does not appear to be a policy or law governing this.

Definitely something that should be addressed in future space law policies. Think about this: there is the Liability Convention and the Registration Convention space treaties. DART is registered and what happens if fragments from the collision cause damage to another spacecraft, hurts an astronaut, or is big enough to reach Earth’s surface to cause damage?