Dimorphos in sight: Europe's Hera probe gets its 1st look at battered space rock (photo)
Europe's Hera planetary defense spacecraft is closing in on the binary asteroid system targeted by NASA's DART deflection test, and can now tell the two rocky bodies apart.
Europe's Hera spacecraft is nearing its first close-up view of the asteroid Dimorphos, after a journey to the Didymos binary asteroid system. Launched in October 2024 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Hera is closing in on the target after having resolved the system as a single dot before. Michael Kueppers, Hera project scientist at the European Space Agency, stated that Dimorphos is now visible as a separate entity from its parent body.
The DART mission, which impacted Dimorphos in September 2022, successfully altered the asteroid's orbit, providing a test for planetary defense. Hera's mission is to study the impact's aftermath and gain insights into the asteroids. The spacecraft, equipped with 12 payloads, will observe the asteroids and launch cubesats for a closer examination.
ESA's mission manager, Ian Carnelli, anticipates sharper images of Dimorphos as Hera approaches, with a detailed reveal planned for November 25.
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