2024-10-08 20:46:58
Two years ago, the “Dart” probe collided with an asteroid. What damage did it actually cause there? “Hera” is now supposed to find out.
The European Space Agency’s “Hera” mission to defend against asteroids has successfully launched into space. The probe flew from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the private space company SpaceX, as images from SpaceX and a live broadcast from the ESA control center in Darmstadt showed.
“Hera” is supposed to examine what the impact of the US space agency NASA’s “Dart” probe in September 2022 caused on Dimorphos, the smaller part of a double asteroid. At that time, “Dart” hit the asteroid at a speed of around 6.6 kilometers per second. The impact measurably changed the orbit of Dimorphos, a type of moon of the larger asteroid Didymos.
What does the approximately 160 meter long chunk look like now? Does it have a crater, has it been deformed? How heavy is he? “Hera” is intended to answer these questions and help researchers protect the Earth from devastating asteroid impacts in the future.
“Hera” has various cameras as well as laser and radar-based measurement systems. The probe will initially fly past Mars and, after more than two years, reach its destination in December 2026: Dimorphos. “Hera” is controlled from the control center in Darmstadt. As the largest contributor, Germany is significantly involved in the 383 million euro mission.