A European spacecraft is on its way to study an asteroid after NASA's successful mission to alter its course over two years ago. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera spacecraft launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on October 7, 2024, at 10:52 a.m. ET.
Hera's mission focuses on the asteroid Dimorphos, which was impacted by NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on September 26, 2022. This test successfully shortened Dimorphos' orbit around its larger companion, Didymos, by 33 minutes, demonstrating a potential method for diverting asteroids that may threaten Earth.
During its journey, Hera will conduct a series of flybys to analyze Dimorphos' mineral composition and the surrounding dust. This investigation aims to assess the size of the crater formed by the DART impact and provide a more accurate estimate of Dimorphos' mass. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher highlighted the mission as a significant step in enhancing Europe's role in planetary defense, emphasizing the international nature of such efforts.
In addition to surveying Dimorphos, Hera will perform experiments in autonomous navigation around both asteroids. The binary asteroid system consists of Dimorphos, approximately 530 feet in diameter, and Didymos, about half a mile across. NASA has confirmed that neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, as they were last observed within roughly 6 million miles of our planet in 2022.
Hera is expected to reach the asteroid system in the fall of 2026, marking a crucial advancement in understanding and potentially mitigating future asteroid threats.