Hera Says Farewell to the Earth and Moon – Universe Today
ESA’s Hera spacecraft, on its mission to study the binary asteroid Didymos, has bid farewell to Earth and the Moon as it ventures deeper into space. On October 16, 2023, Hera fired its engines for a crucial trajectory correction maneuver, boosting its velocity to 53,200 km/h (33,000 mph). This burn set Hera on its final course to Didymos, a system comprised of a larger asteroid, Didymos, and its smaller companion, Dimorphos.
The farewell was bittersweet for the Hera team at the European Space Agency. This event signifies Hera’s imminent journey to its destination and its gradual independence from the Earth’s gravitational influence. Though a challenging feat of engineering, it represents the fulfillment of a remarkable journey from the initial launch to a cosmic exploration.
This farewell is crucial for Hera’s successful rendezvous with Didymos, a mission meticulously crafted to analyze the impact created by NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft in September 2022. DART deliberately slammed into Dimorphos, modifying its orbital trajectory, showcasing humanity’s potential to defend against asteroid threats.
Hera will meticulously study the outcome of the DART impact, evaluating the physical characteristics of Dimorphos, including its internal structure, the mass of material ejected from its surface, and the crater size formed by the collision. These findings will be crucial in understanding how to effectively deflect dangerous asteroids from Earth’s trajectory.
Hera’s journey involves an ambitious approach: studying a binary asteroid system for the first time in history, employing sophisticated techniques to gather insights about these fascinating cosmic entities.
Equipped with high-resolution cameras, a laser altimeter, a magnetometer, and a suite of advanced sensors, Hera will conduct meticulous analyses, generating unprecedented details of the DART impact and its long-term effects on Dimorphos.
As Hera embarks on its exciting voyage towards Didymos, the world awaits its discoveries. With its sophisticated suite of instruments and pioneering spirit, Hera stands poised to revolutionize our understanding of binary asteroids and their potential threat to Earth, propelling humanity’s preparedness against asteroid collisions and unlocking further mysteries of the universe.
